


Memory Wipe

by DarkShade



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Doctor Who
Genre: Angst, Crossover, F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, RipFic, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-03 07:51:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11527827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkShade/pseuds/DarkShade
Summary: In 2012 the Doctor lost Amy and Rory to an Angel, except that wasn't what happened.Now Rip Hunter has managed to come to terms with losing his family and is travelling through time with the Legends to stop time aberrations.But he would really like to know who the redhead is, why he finds her so attractive and why she keeps trying to kill him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know the Rory is Rip story has been done before but when I thought of this I had to write it.  
> This hasn’t been betad so all mistakes are mine.  
> Enjoy.

Rory was gone.

Amy could barely breathe when the Doctor confirmed that they couldn’t save him, not this time. Staring at the creature that had taken him from her Amy went over all the options in her head and knew there was only one thing to do.

She’d known it in the Leadworth created by the Dream Lord when Rory had been turned to dust, when he had almost drowned on the pirate ship and during their near divorce.

Amy couldn’t live without him.

“Melody,” Amy reached out blindly to her daughter, feeling the other woman take her hand placing a kiss on it, “You look after him. You be a good girl, and you look after him.”

“You are creating fixed time,” the Doctor cried anguish filling every word, “I will never be able to see you again.”

Amy felt tears sting her eyes, “I'll be fine,” she told her best friend, “I'll be with him.”

“Amy, please,” the Doctor pleaded with her, “Just come back into the TARDIS. Come along, Pond, please.”

Amy took a deep breath, “Raggedy man,” she said before spinning, “Goodbye.”

The Doctor’s face changed into Rory’s and Amy knew instantly something was wrong.

Rory was chained to the wall in front of her crying out for her to run.

“Well,” a woman who looked like Mary Poppins evil sister appeared between them pretending to dab her eyes with a white handkerchief, “That was extremely emotional.”

 

Amy tried to move to Rory finding there was a barrier between them.

“I must admit,” the woman continued, “I was very surprised you came. I mean choosing him,” she motioned with distaste to Rory who was struggling to free himself, “Over the Doctor? Am I missing something?”

“Who are you?” Amy demanded.

The woman smirked at her, “I am now the one who holds your life in her hands, dear.”

“The Doctor will work out this was a trick,” Amy snarled at her, “He’ll come for us.”

The woman shook her head in mock sadness, “Not when there is now a headstone showing both your names and I finished the book with a lovely letter from you.”

Amy stepped back slightly her stomach turning.

“I have to admit,” the woman continued thoughtfully patting her hair, “It was some of my best work.”

Amy tried not to panic at that, “What do you want?”

The woman smiled pointing to Rory, “I want him.”

“What?”

“Oh my dear girl,” their captor laughed, “I’m not saying he’s better than the Doctor but he holds two thousand years of memories in that head without going mad. It means he is very special.”

“Please,” Amy whispered.

“No,” the woman snapped sharply, “No begging. I don’t want to hear you begging.”

Fear filled her, “Then what do you want?”

“You’ll find out,” the woman told her pushing a button on the wall, “You should get some rest, my dear.”

Amy heard a hiss, realising gas was being pumped into the room she tried not to breathe but there was no escape and the world went black.

 

“Are you awake yet?” a voice said as someone poked her arm.

Amy moaned at the intrusion into her sleep but forced her eyes open. Seeing the woman she had hoped was a dream standing over her Amy tried to pull away finding she was chained to the bed.

“Struggling isn’t going to work,” the psycho told her in what Amy suddenly realised was a similar accent to her own, “Those cuffs are made of the strongest metal there is,” she leaned into Amy’s ear, “I’d let you and hubby borrow them but we don’t have time for that.”

“Who are you?” Amy snarled.

“You can call me Missy,” she replied.

“What do you want?” Amy demanded before hissing, “Missy.”

Evil Mary Poppins smiled at her, “I told you dear, your darling husband. I thought that you would like to see what I want him for. Then we can move on to why you’re here as well.”

The bed she was strapped to started to move sitting Amy up allowing her to see into the other cell where Rory was strapped to a table, wearing only a hospital gown, hooded guards standing on either side of him.

“Amy!!” he cried.

Missy snapped her fingers and he was gagged.

“Don’t worry,” Missy whispered, “I’ll remove it soon. I want to know how loud he can scream.”

Amy struggled again, hearing their captor laugh at her frustrated attempts to release herself. After a few minutes Amy collapsed exhausted.

“Oh good,” Missy chuckled, “You’re done. We can start the show.”

Panic filled Amy and she turned to Rory who was staring back at her, she could see the fear in his eyes. The gag was removed and he breathed, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replied desperately wishing to hear that familiar wheeze from the TARDIS.

“Ah, L’Amour,” Missy laughed from beside Amy before she hit a button on the wall.

Electricity arced through Rory, his entire body went into convulsions and Amy heard him scream. 

“Stop it,” Amy cried as tears fell down her cheek, “Please, you’re killing him.”

“I’m not killing him,” Missy told her, “I’m regenerating him...in a manner of speaking.”

Amy struggled again. 

Rory finally fell into silence as he lost consciousness. Amy frowned confused as Rory’s entire body appeared to be changing.

“What are you doing to him?” Amy demanded.

Missy laughed, “He can’t go to his new life fully grown, now can he?”

Amy watched horrified as she realised Rory was becoming younger. She stared and soon her husband was gone leaving in his place her childhood best friend.

“Oh,” Missy said, “He’s cute.”

 

The moment Amy was pushed into the cell with Rory she ran to the boy pulling him into her arms.

“It’s okay,” she soothed when the boy whimpered, “It’s okay, Rory. I’ve got you.”

He looked up at her, his eyes wide with fear. Amy hugged him closer and rocked him gently feeling him cuddle into her.

“Where am I?” he whispered.

Amy sighed, “Somewhere not very nice.”

“What’s your name?” Rory asked.

“I’m Amy,” she told him.

“I know an Amy,” he whispered before confiding, “She’s my best friend and I’m going to marry her when we’re older.”

Amy gave a soft laugh trying not to cry, “Then she’s a very lucky girl.”

She hugged him closer feeling him shiver.

“I’m scared,” Rory told her.

Amy kissed the top of his head, “I know,” she soothed.

“How sweet,” Missy’s voice came over the speakers.

Amy pulled the boy closer as he hid against her shoulder.

“Say goodbye,” Missy continued, “Your Rory has a new life to get to.”

“Leave him,” Amy snapped.

Laughter surrounded them before gas was released into the cell, Rory cried out in fear holding onto her tighter. Amy felt the gas take over and did her best to hold onto him but once more she slipped into unconsciousness.

*********************************************

“Time Master Druce,” Missy greeted the man who stepped off the ship.

The tall man looked at her with interest, “I must admit that you’re not exactly what I was expecting when meeting a Time Lord.”

“Time Lady,” she corrected sharply.

He gave a slight nod of his head, “Of course. Your message was intriguing. You believe you have a candidate for me.”

Missy nodded, a slight smile on her face she motioned one of her servants to bring the boy forward.

“Train him,” Missy told the man, “Make him one of your best and then use him to facilitate your plans regarding Vandal Savage.”

She saw surprise in Druce’s eyes that she knew about this but he rallied quickly.

“I have plenty of candidates,” he said, “What makes this one so special?”

Missy smiled at him, “He was a time traveller. The training will come naturally to him so he will be ready much sooner than any other candidate.”

Druce nodded, “Then we have a deal.”

“There are a few things you need to know,” Missy held up her hand, “Firstly do not under any circumstances use memory devices upon him. It could do irreparable damage to your plan. Secondly push him and make him suffer. It’s what will drive him for you.”

“Anything else I should know?” Druce asked.

Missy smiled sweetly at him, “Be careful of the knife, he’s pretty savage with it.” 

The boy, now called Michael, glared at everyone when he was marched forward. 

“Michael,” Missy said gently, “This is Time Master Druce, he’s going to take you somewhere safe where the bad man who took your parents away will never be able to find you.”

The boy looked up at her blankly for a moment before nodding.

“And,” she added, “When you’re older he’ll train you so you can stop him hurting anyone else.”

 

“Where’s Rory?” Amy demanded the moment Missy returned to her cell.

Missy smiled, “He’s safe, dear. I can promise you he will be looked after very well.”

“Where is he?”

“Did you know one of the areas of study at the Academy is learning how to follow the timeline of a certain individual?” Missy asked conversationally, “Not something the Doctor cared for much but I was an excellent pupil. Your darling husband has the most interesting timeline I have ever seen and,” she smiled at Amy, “I have ensured he has been put on his new path.”

“What does that mean?” Amy demanded.

Missy smirked at her, “It means that you have seen him for the final time,” she waited for a moment before adding, “As you are now.”

Amy clenched her fists obviously trying to hold herself together, “Tell me what you mean?”

Missy smiled again, “You’ll find out.”

With a flick of a switch she filled the cell with gas once more.

“Goodnight, Amy,” she laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time I have written Legends of Tomorrow so not sure how I’ve done with the character’s voices.  
> Enjoy.

“Gideon?” 

“Yes, Captain Hunter,” the computer answered efficiently, 

“What the hell is that bloody noise?” he demanded pulling the pillow over his head trying to block out the banging.

“Dr Palmer and Mr Jefferson are experimenting with the ATOM suit,” Gideon told him.

“Outside my room?” Rip snapped incredulously.

“The dimensions of the hallway are precisely what they required,” Gideon replied sounding apologetic

Rip Hunter, former Time Master and Captain of the Waverider let out a long sigh, “Why did I think allowing them to stay was a good idea?” he asked before quickly adding, “That was rhetorical, Gideon.”

Knowing he wasn’t getting any more sleep Rip staggered into the shower. Standing in the hot spray he thought back over the last few months. He had lost Miranda and Jonas forever but had finally managed to come to terms with their loss. The hole in his life had been filled strangely by the team he had brought together who had somehow banded into a family of sorts.

A family which Sara Lance of all people had become the ‘mother’ of - at least that’s what Rip had muttered under his breath at her when she sent him to get some sleep the night before. 

Feeling a little more awake Rip dressed and headed out of his room to get some breakfast.

“Hey,” Ray greeted him, “I didn’t know you were in there.”

Rip scowled at the permanently cheerful scientist, “Did you think to ask?”

“Were you sleeping?” Ray winced.

Rolling his eyes Rip stalked away hoping that he would be able to eat in peace. Despite now living with the Legends he still wasn’t the social type – especially when he’d just woken up.

“Aren’t you meant to be sleeping?” Sara demanded the moment he stepped into the kitchen.

“Speak to Ray and Jax,” he replied sharply as he made some coffee.

After drinking down the entire mug he began to feel human again so looked up at the woman sitting across from him eating toast.

“My apologies, Miss Lance,” he said, “I am not at my best when I have not slept well.”

Sara snorted, “Really? I just thought this was your normal charming personality.”

“Perhaps,” Rip chuckled, “I’m assuming there have been no aberrations for us to deal with considering the reason I’m not still in dreamland?”

Sara chuckled, “Be grateful it was Ray and Jax. Mick is working on the upgrades to his heatgun, I sent him to the cargo bay.”

“Small mercies,” Rip smiled back.

Finishing his breakfast he decided to check up on the rest of the team.

As advised Mick was in the cargo bay but was thankfully working within the fireproof section they had created for him. Professor Stein was in the medical bay going over something with Gideon that Rip did not want to ask about while Ray and Jax were still outside his room with the suit.

His ship was no longer the quiet refuge it had been and, to his complete surprise, he loved it.

*********************************************

“Where are we going?” Ray asked when he arrived on the bridge in response to the summons.

“Venice,” Sara said.

“In 1580,” Rip took over appearing from his study before pausing.

The other members of the team looked at each other seeing a look of confusion appear on Rip’s face.

“What?” Sara asked him with concern.

Rip frowned, “Gideon, we haven’t been there before have we?”

“No, Captain Hunter,” Gideon replied.

Rip shrugged before carrying on, “We have a distress call from a Time Ship. It is an automated signal and from the information we have it appears to be one of the empty ships from the Vanishing Point. We’re assuming it was thrown into a vortex when we blew it up.”

“That will be useful,” Jax noted, “For spare parts.”

Rip nodded, “If it is the complete ship, yes. Considering where it is and how it got there then I doubt it but as it is future technology we need to retrieve and remove it.”

“What’s the plan?” Sara asked.

“I will take the jumpship with Jax and Sara into the city,” Rip told them, “We will split up and search for the tech while Martin and Mr Palmer use Gideon to try to narrow the location.”

“What about me?” Mick demanded.

Rip turned to him, “I need you to continue working on the upgrades to your heatgun. I have a feeling we will need it soon.”

For once the thief nodded in agreement before they all strapped in to head to 1580. 

 

Rip stepped out of the ship and looked around the courtyard they’d landed in trying to work out why it seemed so familiar.

“Wow,” Sara noted as she looked around, “Will we have any time to sightsee?”

Rip smiled at her, “Unfortunately no, which on the bright side will mean Venice should survive our visit.”

Jax squinted in the sunlight, “Okay, Gideon says we should only be about two miles from the distress signal. Just don’t know which way.”

“Okay,” Rip said relieved he wasn’t wearing either his jacket or coat in the heat as they started walking to the exit, “Keep in touch.”

The moment they reached the gate Rip heard the sound of metal bouncing on the stones, looking down he saw the canister appear.

“Move,” he cried too late as the world exploded around them.

Rip slammed to the ground and, just before the blackness took him, he saw a woman standing looking down on him her red hair glowing in the sun.

 

Rip winced as he woke up trying to work out what was happening.

His hands were tied behind his back and he was sitting on what he assumed was a chair; there was a wall or something solid behind him that he could just feel with his fingers. Forcing his eyes open Rip looked around his cell, or shed as it appeared to be, checking for the other two members of his team.

“Your little friends aren’t here,” a voice said from somewhere close by.

Rip quickly noted it was a woman, Scottish, youngish and not friendly.

“Where are they?” he demanded.

“I would be much more worried about yourself,” the woman said, still standing so he couldn’t see her.

Rip tested his bonds finding the ropes were tied firmly.

“I am very good at tying knots,” his captor said, this time much closer, “You won’t get free unless I want you to.”

“Then perhaps you can get on with it,” Rip snapped.

The woman laughed, “That is the man I know. Right to the point and ready for action.”

“If we’re such old friends,” Rip snarled, “Then why don’t you stop hiding in the shadows so I can say hello properly?”

She laughed and a shadow covered him, Rip looked at the woman in front of him. She had long red hair, pale smooth skin and brown eyes. The outfit she was wearing was so tight it left basically nothing to the imagination. The knives on the belt around her waist making sure no one touched her that she didn’t want to.

“Hello, Lover,” she smirked at him.

 

Rip frowned in confusion as he looked at the woman smiling down at him. He had never seen her before in his life...except there was something familiar about her.

“I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else,” he noted.

She laughed, “No, I haven’t. You just haven’t met me yet.”

Bugger, Rip thought, that was never a good thing. 

Time travel had many perils but one of the biggest was meeting people who knew you before you knew them.

“Then perhaps it would be better for you to let me go,” he tried, “And once we have met then you can be mad at me.”

She began to laugh, “That was good. I like that.”

Rip grimaced, “It was worth a try.”

“It was,” she walked to the table across from him and leaned against it.

Rip looked around where he was sitting, he could see his weapons sitting just behind her and he began to stretch the ropes. He’d need some time but he would be able to get out of the bonds. He’d done it before.

“Well, you know me,” Rip said to keep her talking, “Do I at least get a name?”

She smiled at him amused before nodding, “You can call me Amelia.”

 

Rip watched his captor walk back and forth giving him a very good view of her long shapely legs which started him wondering what he would do in the future to this woman. She kept calling him lover and that was worrying him increasingly. He wondered what would possess him to get involved with this woman at some point in his future.

Part of him hoped it was just bad judgement while the other part was sure it would be because of a mission - explaining why she would be angry at him. 

“So, what exactly do you want?” Rip asked her.

Amelia smiled amused, “Your death, of course but since I can’t kill you until you’ve met me,” she moved to his ear and whispered, “I just want to hear you scream.”

She pulled back and smiled at him before he felt a blade slice into his forearm. He grimaced at the sharp pain but remained silent.

“Good boy,” Amelia chuckled, “Being stoic and brave. I have told you how much I love that, haven’t I?”

Rip gritted his teeth, “I’m sure you will.”

She stroked his cheek sliding her fingers to his chin, tilting his face up so he was looking in her eyes, “Oh Lover, we are going to have so much fun.”

Before he could retort she kissed him, sliding onto his lap wrapping her arms around him deepening the kiss. Rip found himself kissing her back astonished by his reaction.

“Are we interrupting?” Sara’s voice came suddenly.

Amelia pulled back not moving from her spot on his lap turning to look at Sara who was standing watching, “Actually yes.”

“We kinda need him back,” Sara pulled a gun and motioned Amelia to move, “So, why don’t you get up.”

Amelia started to squirm on Rip’s lap making him grimace, “I’m comfortable and he is enjoying me sitting here.”

“Sara,” Rip stated annoyed wanting her to hurry up.

“I don’t usually use guns,” Sara noted, “But the last time I did I was a fantastic shot.”

Amelia laughed again, slowly sliding off Rip’s lap she leaned into him once more, “See you soon, Lover.”

With a smirk she kissed his cheek before plunging a knife into his stomach making him cry out in pain. She stepped away from him and touched what looked like a watch on her wrist disappearing with a crackle of electricity.

 

Sara stared stunned as the redhead she’d found straddling their Captain disappear into thin air.

“Sara,” Rip called bringing her attention back to him, “A little help.”

Moving to his side she quickly cut his bonds, catching him when he began to tip forward due to his injury.

“We’d better get you back to Gideon,” she said, wincing at the already blood soaked shirt before calling, “Mick.”

The large thief joined her and looked down at Rip, “Typical,” he said before reaching out and wrapping an arm around Rip hauling him to his feet.

Rip let out a stifled moan of pain but otherwise stayed silent as Mick helped him out of the shed. Sara gathered up Rip’s possessions and followed them out.

 

Rip let out a sigh of relief when Gideon administered painkillers while fixing his wound. Opening his eyes he found Sara standing watching over him.

“Tell me you got the tech,” Rip asked her.

Sara nodded, “Jax found it while we searched for you.”

“Good,” he said, wincing slightly at the wound being repaired.

She drew a chair over to his side, “So, who was your friend?”

“I have absolutely no idea,” Rip replied, “And that concerns me.”

She nodded, “I could see that by the way your tongue was down her throat.”

He glared at her, “She was intending to kill me, Miss Lance. I took advantage of the distraction to try to loosen my bonds.”

“It’s very likely that wasn’t all that would be loosened if I hadn’t interrupted,” she smirked at him.

He grimaced at her but refused to rise to her baiting.

“Relax,” she clapped his shoulder, “We’re heading into orbit until you’re fixed up.”

With another smirk she left him alone. 

Rip closed his eyes and the memory of the kiss came back to him. Admittedly it had been a while since he’d been intimate with anyone and, although she was a crazy woman trying to kill him, it had been an incredible kiss. 

“Gideon.”

“Yes, Captain?”

“Can you check my personal history for someone called Amelia?” he asked, “Or any variation of that name.”

There was a pause before Gideon replied, “I have no records of anyone with that name or similar.”

“Well, it looks like that’s something I have to look forward to,” he sighed.

*********************************************

“How did it go?”

Amelia turned to the woman standing waiting for her, “It went very well, mother.”

“How badly injured is he?” her mother asked amused.

Amelia smiled, “Not too badly. A member of his team interrupted us before I could have any real fun.”

Her mother laughed tapping her own lips indicating the smeared lipstick, “I see you had at least a little.”

“This version was just as good a kisser as the one I knew,” she smirked.

Rolling her eyes Amelia’s mother held out her hand for the vortex manipulator, “We have some work to do and then I will need you to retrieve him for me.”

Amelia’s eyes lit up looking forward to renewing her acquaintance with Rip Hunter.


	3. Chapter 3

Amelia had lost her parents when she was young.

She barely remembered them but she could never forget the sight of the man who murdered them standing over their dead bodies and the body of her childhood best friend, covered in blood as he smiled then straightened the bow tie he wore. 

Then her new mother came.

Mother looked after her taking her to a place where she was trained to ensure that no one would be able to hurt her ever again. 

Amelia took to the training as naturally as breathing and she liked to fight. She liked to hurt people because she couldn’t find the man who had taken everything from her. One day though she would find the man who destroyed her life and she would kill him the way he’d killed the people she had loved.

 

Entering the room with her mother, Amelia quickly took in the inhabitants. Three men, who were all definitely not her type, stood around the room. They each wore a black suit looking serious and dull.

She stood leaning against the wall playing with one of her knives while Mother talked with their new acquaintances, wondering if there would be time to find a bar to get some entertainment. 

Then the fourth member of their new associates arrived.

He was younger than the others with sandy hair and beard, although also dressed in black it made him look interesting instead of boring. He stalked into the room and took a seat swinging his feet onto the coffee table with complete disinterest.

“Rip,” Thawne, the leader, stated coolly, “I have asked that you keep your feet off the furniture. We also have guests so at least pretend that you have some manners.”

The man called Rip looked up and nodded quickly to Mother before his gaze transferred to her. He was out of his seat in one smooth movement.

“Amelia,” he breathed, taking her hand and pressing his lips to it, “I was wondering when I would meet you.”

Glancing over to her mother for a second, who looked slightly concerned, Amelia turned back to him.

“How exactly do you know me?” she straightened up liking the fact that he was only slightly taller than she was.

He chuckled, “You took me hostage and stabbed me once. But trust me I don’t hold a grudge.”

“Amelia,” Mother stated sharply, “I have something I need you to do.”

Rip took a step back and looked at Mother before he took his seat again a smirk on his face.

 

Rip watched the women leave the room looking forward to finding out exactly what he had done for Amelia to stab him. 

He remembered the kiss she’d given him. In fact he’d found himself fantasising about it at times, something he would never admit to any of the idiots he’d travelled with at the time.

Now here she was and he was no longer bound by who he had been, since Thawne and the others had released him from his boring morality as well as the prison of being ‘Phil’, so he was going to get to know her much better.

“Where am I going next?” he asked with a lazy drawl.

Thawne shook his head, “With our guests here you have a few days so take some time. I will call you when you’re needed.”

Rip shrugged and headed to his room to change into his gym clothes. He may as well get some training in while he was stuck here. Passing one of the rooms he spotted Amelia and her mother, smiling at her when she glanced his way. 

He was going to earn that knife to the stomach.

 

“Who is he, Mother?” Amelia asked as Rip walked past the room they were in and smiled at her, “And why did you pull me away?”

Her mother studied her intently, “Do you recognise him?”

Amelia shook her head, “Why would I?” before frowning in thought, “Though I must get to know him since at some point I stab him.”

“He was another child whose family were taken from him,” Mother answered, “By the same man who took yours.”

A feeling of kinship blossomed in Amelia at this revelation.

“I’m now concerned about him,” Mother told her.

“Why?”

“To protect him after his parents’ death,” Mother explained, “I had to alter some of his memories of that night. If our new friend Mr Thawne has used any kind of memory device on him then he could be in danger.”

“You need to check his mind?”

Mother nodded, “But he must be relaxed and not fight me. Can you manage that?”

Amelia shrugged with a smile, “I can give him a sedative.”

“Darling,” Mother called her before she left the room, “Be careful. This man may have been playful a few moments ago but he is dangerous.”

A slow smiled covered her face, “So am I, Mother.”

*********************************************

Rip finished his training and headed back to his room for a shower. He’d had very little spare time since joining Thawne and his team but with what he had Rip used to ensure he was at peak fitness. Especially after his time as a film student who thought that weed was a food group.

Entering his room Rip pulled his t-shirt off and tossed it onto his bed stopping when he saw the redhead leaning against the wall watching him.

“I don’t see a wound from where I supposedly stabbed you?” Amelia noted her eyes sliding up and down his torso.

Rip folded his arms across his chest, “I had excellent medical care.”

“So, what exactly did you do so I would stab you?” she asked, delight in her voice.

Rip walked across the floor so he was standing only a few inches from her, “I have been wondering that too.”

He looked down at her smiling as she pushed herself off the wall so they were face to face, amusement dancing in her eyes.

“What else happened?” Amelia asked softly, her lips hovering close to his so he could feel her breath ghosting against his skin.

“You kissed me,” he smirked.

Amelia laughed softly, “I kissed you? You didn’t kiss me?”

“Not that time,” he answered before closing the distance between them.

Rip pressed her against the wall, his hands resting on her waist while her arms slid around his neck pulling him closer. Sliding his hands down Rip lifted her feeling Amelia’s legs wrap around his waist. They parted for a moment both breathing heavily.

“I think we should discuss this more,” Amelia told him, pulling him close once again.

 

Amelia lay feeling her new lover drawing patterns on her stomach, his head propped up on his elbow as he lay watching her. She had always enjoyed finding new friends to play with, usually though it was in a bar where she would enjoy herself before leaving them in her wake. It was rare she would do this but it was nice to relax and enjoy the afterglow.

“Was that enough to stab me?” Rip asked amused.

Amelia turned pushing him to lie on his back sliding onto him, “Not yet but I’m sure you can keep trying.”

She kissed him again placing a hand on his neck and pressing the sedative patch onto him so her mother could perform her checks. She continued the kiss until he slipped into a deep sleep.

Sitting looking down on the unconscious man Amelia slid her hands across his chest musing on how she could do absolutely anything to him. Just a little nick at the right place in his neck and he would bleed to death without ever waking up. 

Instead Amelia placed a soft kiss on his lips slipping off him and pulling her clothes back on.

Finding her phone to call her mother, Amelia covered Rip with the sheet protecting his modesty for a reason she couldn’t have voiced.

 

“Darling,” Missy stated exasperated when she entered the room, “You know you didn’t need to do so much to give him the sedative.”

Amelia shrugged with a slight pout, “I thought he would be fun to play with.”

Missy rolled her eyes, “Go, put some proper clothes on and be ready. I have something for you to do after I’ve checked him.”

Amelia took one last look at the man on the bed before she left the room.

Missy closed the door, ensuring it was locked before turning back to the man on the bed.

“Well, well, well, Rory Williams,” she said conversationally, “I have to say I like the new look. The beard definitely takes away from the nose and the reputation you have managed to garner for yourself is impressive,” she chuckled to herself, “Do you like your wife’s new personality? I must admit she’s much more fun with a dagger in her hand. She will have sex with just about anything that moves but from what I hear you married someone else so you can’t complain.”

Silence answered her. 

“Now, I just have to check my block is still in place,” she pressed her fingers to his temples closing her eyes, “Since you did that memory wipe to yourself and then these idiots playing with your brain I have to make sure Rory Williams is still well hidden. We can’t have you remember who you really are until I’m ready.”

She nodded pleased that everything was fine. She hadn’t planned for them to meet again until it was time for her plan to be enacted but it did amuse her to allow them to have a relationship. 

It would make her endgame so much more fun to watch.

*********************************************

Rip smiled when Amelia appeared in his room after his mission and without a word slid onto his lap. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked brushing her lips to his neck.

“I shot one of the so called Legends,” he explained with a slight frown, “The kid kept saying her name, like it should mean something to me, like she should mean something to me.”

Amelia shrugged, “Don’t let them get to you. I am the only woman who means anything to you.”

Rip kissed her before flipping her onto her back stretching out on her, “You are.”

Amelia pulled him down to her and he smiled as she drew him into another kiss. Rip surrendered to her, forgetting everything in her arms.

It hadn’t been her intention to continue this. Her plan was enjoy his company a few times before moving on but Amelia found that anytime she wanted company she gravitated towards Rip. She even found herself staying in his bed after they finished, falling asleep wrapped in his arms.

 

“I’m not sure why you’re letting this continue,” Thawne noted to Missy as they watched Amelia walk into Rip’s room.

Missy smiled slightly amused, “Amelia has quite an appetite. If she wasn’t getting her entertainment from your friend she’d go out to look for it elsewhere and that could get bloody.”

Thawne looked at her in concern, “How bloody?”

“Very. My daughter is extremely well trained,” Missy noted, “As your associate is well under your control these days it’s easier to let them enjoy each other for the moment.”

Thawne nodded.

“Once you have the Spear of Destiny Amelia and I will be leaving,” Missy reminded him.

The man known as the Reverse Flash mused on this, “Considering what you’ve told me about your daughter I would prefer that be sooner rather than later.”

Missy laughed, “You may be fast, Mr Thawne but interrupt Amelia when she’s enjoying herself and there will be nowhere for you to hide.”

*********************************************

Rip opened his eyes blinking in the light.

“Hey,” Sara’s familiar voice made him turn slightly finding her standing watching him, “How do you feel?”

Taking a breath Rip rolled his shoulders before replying through dry lips, “Like my brain has been put through a blender.”

“Do you feel more like you though?” she asked.

With a soft deprecating laugh he nodded, “Actually, yes.”

“Good because we need you,” Sara told him with certainty, “Are you ready to stop the Legion of Doom?”

Rip pushed a hand through his hair, “As I’ll ever be.”

“Good,” Sara motioned him forward, “Let’s go.”

As they walked Rip looked down at her, “One good thing is I’m sure I now know why I was stabbed in Venice.”

“Oh, you didn’t?” Sara cried in disgust.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that's the background out of the way, time to get to the main story.
> 
> Enjoy.

It was over. 

The Legion were defeated and returned to where they should be while the Spear was no longer a danger to anyone.

Standing in his room Rip looked round at the place that had been his home for so long wishing it still felt like it.

The truth was the Legends didn’t need him.

Sara was an exceptional leader to the team and had led them better than he ever could. Now they’d achieved their goal he knew that he wouldn’t be missed.

Heading to the Jumpship Rip grimaced when he walked straight into Jax.

“Hey,” the younger man grinned at him, “I need you to look at something. It’s driving me crazy that it isn’t working.”

With a slight smile Rip nodded, he could take the time to ensure Gideon was in top shape before he left. Looking into the mess of wires Rip grimaced, “Jax, what have you been doing? These should never...” he was cut off as electricity jumped from the exposed wires and literally zapped him. 

Rip?” Jax asked worriedly before yelling his name as the world around him went black.

 

“Rip?” Jax cried, horrified when the other man fell and began to shake, “Gideon, get the others here.”

He dropped to the ground with no idea what to do to help, relieved when Sara came running with Ray and Martin right behind her.

“What happened?” she demanded as they fell down beside Rip who was now unconscious and had stilled once more, “Gideon?”

“Captain Hunter appears to have had a seizure,” Gideon explained, “Please take him to the medical bay so I can scan him properly.”

Jax grimaced and helped the others move the unconscious man back to the medical bay. It wasn’t that long ago he’d been strapped to one of the beds having his brain rewired.

Sara snapped the cuff onto him before she turned to Jax, “What happened?”

“He was electrocuted,” Jax winced.

“Actually,” Gideon spoke up, “The electrical current had less voltage than a static shock from another person.”

“Then what happened?” Sara demanded again.

 

There were people surrounding him, he could hear a heart monitor and took several deep breaths in the hopes a headache wouldn’t explode when he moved.

“Rip?” a gentle voice came from his side, “Rip, can you hear me?”

Opening his eyes he looked at the woman who was watching him worriedly, “Yes, Sara I can hear you.”

“How do you feel?” she asked concerned.

Rip sighed, “Remember when I said I felt like my brain had been put through a blender?”

She nodded.

“It just went through it again this time on full power,” he slowly sat up, “Gideon, what are my vitals?”

“All vitals returned to normal,” Gideon told him.

Rip nodded, “Good. Sara, I’m fine.”

“You just had a seizure,” Sara reminded him, “For no reason at all.”

“Jax did electrocute me,” Rip noted.

Sara shrugged, “Actually he only gave you a static shock. It shouldn’t have done anything more than make you go ouch.”

“I am going to go and get some rest,” Rip told her, dodging further questioning.

Sara grimaced slightly, “Gideon?”

“I shall monitor Captain Hunter,” Gideon assured her, “If anything happens I will let you know immediately.”

Rip rolled his eyes but said nothing as he headed to his room relieved that Sara didn’t follow him.

“Gideon, you can monitor my health but for the next hour nothing I say is to be recorded in this room,” Rip ordered, “Understand?”

“Yes, Captain Hunter,” she replied.

Waiting twenty seconds Rip headed into his bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror.

“Hello, Rory.”

 

It occurred to Rip that his seizure was due to two thousand years worth of memories hitting him at once. He let out a small laugh of disbelief, his brain had been tampered with several times recently and those memories hadn’t returned but a small static shock had removed whatever had been blocking them.

Gripping the sides of his sink Rip took several deep breaths hoping his memories settled into something resembling coherence soon. He currently had about four lives he’d lived to straighten in his head, wait that was now five thanks to the world the Legion of Doom had created. One thought came to him very quickly though.

“Amy,” he breathed, “I’m sorry. I’ll find you, Amy. I promise.”

An alarm sounded interrupting his attempts to sort himself.

“Gideon?”

“Intruder Alert,” the AI told him.

Grabbing his pistol Rip ran through the corridors to find out who the hell could have appeared on the ship while they were in the temporal zone. As he ran he could hear Mick yelling just before a familiar redhead appeared in front of him.

“Amy?”

“Hello, Lover,” she smiled hitting him. 

Rip slammed into the wall and before he could move again a knife was at his throat, “You never said goodbye. That was very rude of you.”

“Amy,” he breathed, “This isn’t you, you’re not a killer. I remember who I am now, I can help you remember who you are.”

“I know who I am,” she snarled at him, “I also remember the nights we spent together before you betrayed us.”

Grabbing her arm Rip twisted and managed to release himself as the others moved in. 

“Do not shoot her,” Rip snapped, holding his hand up trying to calm her, “Amy, this isn’t you. I’m going to call the Doctor. He’ll be able to help.”

She screamed slashing at him making Rip stumble back in shock at her reaction to the name of her best friend. Before anyone could do anything she hit the vortex manipulator and disappeared.

“Dammit,” Rip snapped rubbing his hand over his eyes.

Sara appeared in front of him, arms folded across her chest, “So, your redhead is back.”

“Her name is Amy Pond,” Rip told her with a sigh, “And she’s my wife.”

 

The crew sat staring at Rip waiting for him to talk while he ensured Gideon could stop anyone else trying to enter the ship using a vortex manipulator.

“Okay,” Rip turned to them, “I guess you all have some questions.”

Sara nodded, “Are you going to give us answers?”

“Yeah,” Ray agreed, “When did you get married again?”

Rip sighed, “This is extremely complicated and I will explain but I need you to let me sort a few things out first.”

He looked at the crew, the crew that was no longer his so he turned to their leader, “Sara, I need you to trust me.”

She stood and looked up at him for several seconds before nodding, “Okay.”

Rip took a deep breath, “Does anyone have a mobile on them?” At the blank looks he received Rip rolled his eyes, “Of course, Americans. Does anyone have a cell-phone?”

“I do,” Jax pulled his smart phone out tossing it to Rip.

Rip took a deep breath, “Gideon, get ready to provide the co-ordinates to our location specifically the cargo bay when I ask. Jax, I hope this isn’t on a contract because this might be rather expensive.”

He dialled the number from memory and waited.

“Hello?” a familiar woman answered the call.

“River,” he said turning away from the team, “It’s Rory. I need the Doctor’s help.”

*********************************************

River Song watched the Doctor bounce around the TARDIS not looking at her, obviously not happy to have her here. Okay, technically it was her fault they’d been chased off the planet but he was only meant to be there to give her a lift. It wasn’t her fault the TARDIS had brought him earlier than she asked.

Thanks to Vastra she knew he was travelling with someone once more but River was aware that her presence was painful these days. It meant he had to deal with the memory of Amy and Rory which was still a deep wound in his hearts.

The phone began to ring and she frowned when he made no move to answer, “I’ll get that, shall I?”

When he ignored her River rolled her eyes and picked up the phone, “Hello?”

“River,” a voice from her past came making her freeze, “It’s Rory. I need the Doctor’s help.”

“How dare you,” she snarled, rage filling her, “How dare you do this.”

The Doctor turned concerned, “River?”

“Melody,” the voice came again this time over the speakers, “I promise you, it’s me and I need the Doctor because Amy is in trouble.”

River stepped back slightly when the Doctor turned to her a rage in his eyes she had never seen before.

“I don’t care who you are?” the Doctor stated to the caller, ice filling his voice, “But I will not let you use the people I love...”

“Doctor,” the voice cut him off, “I promise you, I am Rory and I need your help. I’m sending co-ordinates for you. I’m begging you, Doctor because Amy is in danger and I can’t save her without you.”

River looked at the Time Lord and nodded.

“Very well,” the Doctor replied, “Send the co-ordinates and we will be there.”

A sigh of relief came over the speakers, “Thank you, Doctor.”

River stared at the Doctor trying to process what had just happened. He was completely motionless which worried her as he was never still unless something bad was about to happen.

“Could it have been him?” River broke the silence, “Could Rory and Amy...”

He shook his head as she trailed off, “I don’t know, River. I really don’t know so I guess we follow the co-ordinates.”

Quickly he moved around the console and programmed their new destination, “But,” he suddenly said looking up at her his eyes dark, “If this is a trick, I will hand you the gun myself.”

River waited as the TARDIS brought them to the co-ordinates. When they landed the Doctor started out but River stalled staring at the doors unable to move.

“River?” the Doctor said softly.

She shook his head, “I can’t,” tears filled her eyes, “Doctor, I can’t go out until I know for sure.”

He wrapped his arms around her, “I understand. I am terrified to open the door. What if it isn’t Rory but...” he looked into her eyes, “What if it is?”

She let out a shaky breath and stood by the door waiting for him. She could hear the sound of the sonic screwdriver then a moment later the Doctor appeared and tossed it to her. She waited until he’d left again before looking at the scan results and letting out a gasp.

 

Rip finished his call, tossed the phone back to Jax and turned away from the crew again. Eyes closed, hands gripping the nearest chair.

“I am Rip Hunter, I am the Last Centurion, I am Rory Williams,” he repeated several times as a mantra in order to focus himself.

“Rip?” Sara’s concerned voice came just before her hand touched his arm.

Turning to her he gave a soft nod, “Shall we go and greet our guests?”

“What guests?” Sara asked.

“Captain,” Gideon interrupted, “There is a temporal disturbance in the cargo bay. I am unable to prevent it.”

“You don’t have to, Gideon,” Rip told her before turning to Sara, “Our guests.”

Sara straightened her shoulders, “Then let’s not keep them waiting.”

While they walked Rip continued his mantra in silence holding onto every bit of training he had in every life so he didn't fall apart until he had Amy back safely.

“So, who is Rory?” Sara asked as they walked.

Rip sighed, “It’s complicated.”

They stepped into the cargo bay and a smile touched his lips when he saw the TARDIS sitting there. The door opened and relief filled Rip to see the Time Lord once again. Instantly the Doctor aimed the sonic screwdriver at him and Rip reached out stopping Sara from protecting him allowing the Doctor to perform his scan.

Rip took a deep breath watching the Doctor disappear back into the TARDIS for a moment. He reappeared and hugged Rip tightly.

“Oh Rory,” the Doctor breathed, “I can’t believe this.”

Rip hugged the other man back, “It’s good to see you, Doctor. Where is...”

“Give her a minute,” the Doctor patted Rip’s arm, “This was hard on her.”

Rip could feel Sara’s confusion but she remained silent and just watched the reunion. After a moment the doors opened and Rip saw his daughter walk out, her eyes wet with tears.

“Mom?”

All three turned to Sara at the exclamation before Rip and the Doctor turned to River questioningly.

“Not that I know,” River held her hands up.

Rip rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Gideon, please check Miss Lance’s DNA against mine and advise if we are related,” he turned to Sara, “I really don’t need you to be my granddaughter.”

“What?” Sara asked before shaking her head, “I know, it’s complicated.”

“Captain,” Gideon’s voice came, “There is no correlation between your and Miss Lance’s DNA.”

“Thank God for that,” Rip sighed in relief before turning back to his daughter who was smiling slightly amused.

“Hello, I’m the Doctor,” the Time Lord introduced himself to Sara moving her to one side allowing father and daughter their reunion.

Rip smiled at River before he took the step forward and wrapped his arms around her. River hugged him back and he felt her body shake with a sob.

“It’s okay, Melody,” he soothed rocking her gently, “It’s okay.”

Not caring about anything else for the moment Rip...Rory held onto his daughter


	5. Chapter 5

“Hello, I’m the Doctor,” he introduced himself, moving the young blonde woman to one side so Rory and River could say hello with a little privacy.

“Sara,” the blonde introduced herself still looking confused that the woman who was currently hugging Rory looked exactly like her mother.

“Duplication happens on occasion throughout time and space,” the Doctor explained with a wave of his hand, “I could tell you some stories,” he frowned in thought as he suddenly realised the name she’d given him, “Sara Lance?”

She nodded.

“The White Canary?” excitement filled his voice as he began to shake her hand enthusiastically, “Oh, this is fantastic you have such an interesting story.”

“I’m assuming you can’t tell me any of it,” Sara smiled amused before motioning to Rory, “Rip keeps going on about the dangers of knowing too much about your own future.”

The Doctor followed her gaze confused before what she’d just said fell into place and he stared at Rory.

“Rip? Rip Hunter?” the Doctor demanded as Rory and River joined them, “You’re now Rip Hunter?”

Rory nodded, “I promised to tell everyone the story so let’s head to the bridge then I don’t have to repeat it.”

The Doctor motioned them to lead the way before he moved to River’s side.

“Are you alright?” he asked her.

River smiled her eyes still slightly watery, “I can’t believe it’s him.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her quickly, “I know. Now we need to know what happened and where Amy is.”

 

Rip did very quick introductions around the group stopping the Doctor getting over-excited about meeting the Legends or the Legends asking any questions.

“Okay,” he stood outside his study where he could be seen and heard by everyone, giving him enough room to pace, “This is complicated and I really don’t want to go over it more than once. I also ask that you keep any questions until I’ve finished.”

“Of course,” Sara told him, “Now explain.”

Rip took a deep breath, “I was born Rory Williams, which is the name both the Doctor and River know me by. I was married to my best friend from childhood, her name is Amy,” he grimaced, “She is also the redhead who keeps coming at me with a knife. Anyway we travelled with the Doctor who is also a time traveller. The final trip we took together was to New York.”

“Where the Angel took you,” River spoke up softly.

“No,” Rip told her, “It may have looked like that but it was a trap. A woman took us, I don’t know who or what she was. She somehow turned me back into a kid and sent me to the Time Masters where I grew up to become Rip Hunter.”

“She turned you back into a kid?” Nate asked disbelief in his voice.

Rip frowned at him, “Yes, you try going through puberty twice.”

Sara leaned back in her chair thoughtfully, “Why not tell us before now?”

“Because until the electric shock this morning I had no idea,” Rip explained, “Somehow they blocked the memories of my former life. Trust me if I knew who I was I would have called the Doctor long before now.”

“Why?” Ray asked, turning to the Doctor he looked apologetic, “No offence but why call you?”

“Because he’s a Time...” Rip stopped suddenly.

“Rory?” the Doctor asked concerned.

Rip looked at him in thought, “You know who the Time Masters are, right?”

The Doctor nodded, “Of course.”

“And they would know what Time Lords are?” Rip continued not even waiting for the acknowledgement, “So why have I never known about your people until I got my memories back?” He spun, “Gideon, are there records on Time Lords in your data banks?”

“Yes, Captain Hunter,” Gideon replied.

“Then why have I never heard of them?” Rip frowned.

“Even I know who they are,” Mick spoke up, “And I know exactly who you are, Doctor.”

Gideon replied sounding contrite, “My apologies, Captain. There is a command placed on the files that I cannot provide information on Time Lords without your express questioning.”

“And what was supposed to happen if I asked?” Rip demanded.

“A notification was to be sent to Time Master Druce,” Gideon told him.

 

Sara was more than a little bemused by Rip’s story but there was a definite change in his behaviour especially in regards to their guests. Watching him rub a hand over his eyes Sara moved to Rip.

“Are you okay?” concern filled her voice.

Rip looked at her, “I have a headache.”

“That’s not surprising,” the Doctor appeared at their side, “Rory, look at me.”

To her surprise Rip made no protest, made no sarcastic remarks instead he did exactly as the other man ordered. The Doctor placed his hands on either side of Rip’s face.

“How much is in your head?” the strange Englishman asked concerned.

Rip licked his lips before answering, “I remember my lives as Rory, I remember my life as Rip, my stint as Captain Williams when time stopped and...” he sighed before finishing, “And the two thousand years as the Last Centurion.”

The Doctor frowned slightly, “Hold on, you remember being Captain Williams?”

“The crack in Amy’s wall meant she could bring you back through her memories,” Rip reminded him, “But I spent a lot of time in that room growing up and slept there more than once. I’m assuming that’s why I remember.”

“Oh, Rory,” the Doctor whispered, “How are you still conscious with all that in your head?”

Rip shook his head before replying softly, “Because I need to save Amy.”

“Okay,” Sara interrupted, “What about the red...what about Amy? You say she’s your wife so why does she keep trying to kill you?”

Rip pushed a hand through his hair, “Her ‘Mother’ is the one who did this to us. I don’t know why or what she needs us for but she’s turned Amy into some kind of assassin.”

“She turned her into me,” River spoke up, “Didn’t she?”

“Melody,” Rip scolded softly.

“Its fine, father dear,” River told him, “I don’t pretend I’m not who I was.”

“Father?” several people asked at once.

Rip winced, “It’s...”

“Complicated,” Sara finished for him, “We know.”

 

Rip could feel his headache building and looked up when Sara said his name again.

“You should be resting,” she reminded him, “After earlier.”

“What happened earlier, “River demanded concern in her voice.

Rip shook his head, “It’s nothing.”

“You had a seizure,” Sara stated sharply, “Which we don’t know the cause of.”

“Rory?” the Doctor and River both cried.

Rip turned to them, “The seizure was my body’s reaction to the overload of memories.”

“And your vast medical experience told you this?” Sara snapped.

“Actually,” Rip said sharply, “Yes.”

“What?” Sara asked confused.

“Rory is a nurse,” River told her.

A snort of laughter came from Mick and Rip turned to him, “I was very proud of my job and I was damn good at it. Not to mention I chose to keep it despite the fact that when I was the Centurion I studied enough medical journals that I could have my MD.”

“Centurion?” several people asked but were ignored.

“You’re still not fully recovered though,” River took up from Sara, “Father dear, go and get some rest.”

Rip was about to argue but River caught his arm turning him to look in her eyes.

“I’ll walk with you,” she offered.

Rip hesitated before nodding and letting her move him.

*********************************************

Amelia threw the chair against the wall watching it smash before grabbing a glass sitting on the table.

“Is something wrong, my dear?” Mother asked.

“He is working with the murderer,” Amelia snarled, glaring at the other woman who plucked the glass out her hand.

“Who is, dear?”

“Rip,” she spat the name, “He told me he was going to call the Doctor. How can he work with the man who killed his parents, who killed mine?”

She saw her mother’s frown deepen before she opened her arms to Amelia. With a sigh Amelia moved and let her mother hug her tightly.

“Oh my darling,” Mother soothed stroking her hair, “You must remember that I had to change his memories to protect him. It is very likely that he does not realise who he has allied himself with.”

Amelia sighed pulling back from the embrace.

“You think about him?” Mother asked gently.

Amelia looked embarrassed before answering, “He was fun to play with.”

Mother shook her head, “Darling, I know how close you were with Captain Hunter however he is only a means to an end. If he is working with the Doctor you will have to kill him.”

Amelia frowned before she nodded slowly.

 

Missy grimaced as Amelia headed to work out some of her frustration in the gym. This was not good. If Hunter was talking about the Doctor then it was more than likely Rory Williams had returned.

And that was going to disrupt her plans.

With Thawne and his Legion of Idiots now disbanded and the Spear of Destiny gone then Missy had been ready to start steering Hunter to the real reason she’d taken the Doctor’s beloved Ponds. It had stunned her when tracing Rory William’s timeline that he was the key to getting what she needed. The unassuming nurse-boy who followed the redhead round like a puppy despite the fact it got him killed over and over.

It was typical.

If the Doctor was involved it would make it harder to get her prize but not impossible. It just meant she would need to alter her plans.

Her other concern was Amelia, it was now apparent her ‘daughter’ had developed an attachment to Rip Hunter. She should have known better than to let them get involved with one another, even without their memories it was always a possibility they would bond as they had before but at the time it seemed the best way to keep the assassin occupied until she was needed. 

It didn’t matter because one thing Missy always had was contingency plans and this just meant all she had to do was move to one of her alternate schemes.

*********************************************

“Doctor?”

River walked into the room off the bridge which was warm with a lived in look and covered in all sorts of memorabilia from different points in history, a stark difference to the sterile bridge. The Doctor was sitting in a leather armchair staring at nothing a dark look on his face.

“Is Rory resting?” the Doctor asked softly.

She nodded pulling over a second seat, “Sara confirmed it with the AI who seems to be very protective of him.”

The Doctor nodded.

“This wasn’t your fault, Doctor,” River told him, “There was no way you could predict this.”

The Time Lord grimaced again, “Why change Rory back into a child? Why make him live another life?”

“Because it means he is actually Rip Hunter,” River said, “It isn’t just a memory implant which could have been broken accidentally especially with him working as a Time Master. He grew up as this man and the experiences that made him Captain Rip Hunter are a part of him.”

“What about Amy?” the Doctor mused, “What is the point of...”

“Turning her into me?” River finished for him, “I was a very effective weapon, Doctor. You remember Berlin. I almost left them to die.”

He shook his head, “There has to be more to it. Why create someone as formidable as Rip Hunter? Why would this woman do that and keep Amy? She is turning herself into a target.”

“But she blocked his memories,” River noted, “There is no way she could have known an electric shock would reboot his memories.”

The Doctor nodded, “True. That may give us an advantage.”

“My question is was Amy turned back into a child or has she had her memories altered?” River asked.

The Doctor nodded before musing, “I need to speak to Rory again.”

River stopped him from moving by holding her finger in front of his face, “After he has had some rest.”

 

Rip opened his eyes and lay staring at the ceiling.

After his sleep he felt more focussed, the door in his mind was back in place keeping the memories in check. 

“Gideon,” he called, “Status.”

“We are still in the temporal zone,” Gideon told him, “The team are in the galley and your guests are currently in your study.”

Rip let out a long breath, “Okay.”

“Professor Song has requested to speak with you once you are awake,” Gideon told him.

“Alright,” Rip said, “Tell River I’m awake if she wants to come here.”

A few moments passed before Gideon replied, “Professor Song is on her way.”

Rip pulled on a clean t-shirt and jeans just before the chime sounded letting him know River had arrived.

“Come in,” he called smiling to see her there. In some ways it felt like he hadn’t seen her in years but in others it was like they were together only yesterday.

“How are you feeling?” River asked as she stepped inside.

Rip shrugged, “Better,” he sat on the bed smiling as she sat beside him, “My headache has gone and I think I’ve managed to get my head sorted for now. How are you?”

River gave him a smile, “So happy to see you, Rory or should I call you Rip?”

He chuckled, “Either is fine.”

“Really?”

Rip took her hand in his, “Just like you’re Melody, Mels and River.”

She smiled squeezing his hand back before she stood and looked around the room, finding the photograph he kept on the shelf.

“Who are they?” River asked lifting the photograph to study it.

Rip moved to her side, “Miranda and Jonas. Rip’s wife and son.”

River turned to him in surprise, “You’re married?”

“Was,” Rip replied before he replaced the picture back where it belonged, “They were murdered about two years ago...in linear terms.”

“Oh Rory,” she wrapped her arms around him, “I’m so sorry.”

Rip squeezed her, “I’ve come to terms with it. It did take me a long time but I have,” he grimaced before adding, “Although now I remember Amy and you...”

“It feels like you’re betraying one of them?” River deduced.

“I’m just not sure which one.”


	6. Chapter 6

Sara looked at the team gathered in the galley. She’d checked that Rip was still sleeping with Gideon so that he didn’t walk in on them while they discussed everything he’d told them.

“Okay,” she said to the team, “Now we’ve all had a chance to take in what Rip told us, let’s talk.”

The others looked at each other none of them wanting to start.

“Nate, Amaya,” Sara turned to them, “Neither of you know him as well as we do. What are you thinking?”

Nate winced, “I know he’s your friend but you have to admit it’s pretty far-fetched and that’s considering what we do.”

“True,” Ray said, “But Rip is the last person who would make something like this up. He doesn’t give personal information. We had to drag details out of him about Miranda and Jonas. Not to mention this Doctor and the woman who’s older than him but calls him father.”

Amaya turned to Mick, “You said you know who this Doctor is and what Time Lords are.”

Mick nodded finishing his bottle of beer grabbing another.

“Tell us what you know?” Sara ordered, “Are they another organisation like the Time Masters?”

“My knowledge is limited,” Mick told them, “I didn’t need to know much other than to keep out of their way. I do know they’re not an organisation but a species, right Gideon.”

“Mr Rory is correct,” Gideon agreed, “Time Lords are the inhabitants of the planet called Gallifrey.”

“Alien?” Ray’s eyes lit up.

“Not now,” Sara told him turning back to Mick, “What about the Doctor?”

“Well another name for him is ‘The Oncoming Storm’,” Mick told her.

Eyes widened around the room.

“That sounds ominous,” Stein noted.

“If I could interject,” Gideon said.

Sara shrugged, “Of course, Gideon.

“I have access to files from UNIT,” she told them. 

“UNIT?” Ray asked.

“Unified Intelligence Taskforce,” Stein answered before clarifying, “I consulted with them once or twice many years ago.”

Gideon spoke up again, “UNIT are closely associated with the being known as the Doctor. They hold records on all people connected with him. Please direct your attention to the screen.”

They all stared as a wedding photograph appeared showing a younger, beardless Rip and the redhead who kept attacking him both grinning as they held onto one another.

“The picture is of Amelia Jessica Pond and Rory Arthur Williams,” Gideon explained.

Sara stared at the screen. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe Rip but somehow seeing this picture made it real.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Rip with a smile that genuine,” Jax noted still staring at the screen.

Sara shook her head, “Gideon, can you give us the basic information on Rory Williams?”

“Rory Arthur Williams, born October 10th 1988 in Leadworth England, his school transcripts show him as an excellent student and when he left school he trained as a nurse,” Gideon told them, “He worked at the Royal Leadworth Hospital for several years however his work record after that is spotty. Date of death shows MITS which stands for Missing in Time and Space within UNIT’s database. There is very little information other than a next of kin,” the screen changed to show an older man with similar features, “Brian Williams.”

“Who is he?” Sara asked.

“Rory’s father,” Rip’s voice made them all turn to find him standing in the doorway.

 

Rip felt every eye turn to him as he stepped into the galley but his focus was on the man on the screen. Guilt welled up that he’d just disappeared on his dad, that he never actually said goodbye.

“River,” he said softly to his daughter who was standing just beside him, “Did either of you tell him what happened?”

“No,” River whispered, “We thought you did.”

Rip grimaced, “How?”

“Brian received a letter supposedly from you delivered by a man who claimed to be your adopted son,” River explained.

Silence filled the room. 

It was broken when Rip suddenly punched the wall. He cried out in agony clutching his hand to his chest.

“What the hell?” Sara snapped.

“It appears you have broken your hand, Captain,” Gideon stated.

“I’m well aware of that Gideon,” he snapped at her.

River and Sara both instantly moved to help him but Rip pulled away.

“I will be in the medical bay,” he threw over his shoulder leaving them staring after him.

 

“Wow.”

Sara turned to River, still completely bemused by how much the woman looked like her mother, “What?”

“I have never seen Rory lose his temper like that,” River noted slight amusement in her voice.

Sara looked at her confused, “Really?”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong,” she laughed slightly, “I’ve seen him lose his temper, I’ve made him lose his temper. It was something I prided myself on being able to do when we were kids but that was something completely different.”

“You haven’t been around Rip when a mission has gone wrong,” Sara told her, “He can be a little hot-tempered at times. Hold on when you were kids?”

“It’s complicated,” River told her.

“Gideon,” Sara called with an annoyed sigh at River’s reply, “Where did Rip go?”

“Captain Hunter is in the medical bay,” the AI assured them, “The Doctor is now with him.”

Sara nodded.

“Let’s give them some space,” River said, “And you can tell me some more stories about Rip.”

*********************************************

Rip snapped the cuff onto his wrist before leaning back and letting Gideon heal his hand.

“I have administered the painkillers you usually request,” Gideon told him, her voice sounding slightly smug.

Rip grimaced, “I can do without the passive aggressiveness right now, Gideon.”

“I’m beginning to think the TARDIS not being able to speak to me is a good thing,” the Doctor noted as he walked in.

Rip let out a snort.

“What did you do?”

“I punched the wall,” Rip told him using his uninjured hand to rub his eyes.

The Doctor frowned, “Why?”

“Well I couldn’t punch you, for once it’s not your fault,” Rip replied, “And since whoever did this isn’t here I went for the easiest option.”

The Doctor shook his head, “You grew up a little more hot-headed this time.”

Rip looked up at him through narrowed eyes but didn’t reply.

“How are your memories now you’ve had some rest?” the Doctor asked concerned.

Rip sighed, “They’re back behind the door.”

“That’s good, Rory,” the Doctor rested his hand on the other man’s shoulder.

Rip dropped his head back, “Doctor, I don’t know if I can do this. What if I can’t save Amy this time? What if I lose her? I just got over Miranda and Jonas, I can’t...”

“Rory,” the Doctor said softly, “I have never met anyone as strong or stubborn as you are. You’re married to Amy for one thing.”

Rip frowned at him.

“You spent two thousand years outside a box watching over her,” the Doctor reminded him, “And you did everything you could to save your wife and son from Vandal Savage.”

Rip turned to him confused, “How do you know that?”

“Oh Rory,” the Doctor smiled slightly, “Rip Hunter is someone I know all about.”

“And you never looked at a picture?” Rip asked sarcastically.

The Doctor chuckled, “I will remind you that your daughter looks just like one of your friend’s mother.”

Rip sighed, “Fine, I concede on that.”

“Your hand is now healed, Captain,” Gideon interrupted, “I suggest you eat something.”

Rip rolled his eyes as he disconnected himself from the medical system muttering under his breath about passive aggressive overbearing AI’s.

“Now, we need to find Amy,” the Doctor said moving to where Rip was sitting, “And I have an idea how to start.”

Slight hope touched Rip’s face, “What is it?”

“I know you’ve had your brain scrambled a lot recently,” the Doctor noted, “But I need to check to see if there is any remnant of the block in your memory. Perhaps it will give me a place to start.”

“Okay,” Rip nodded, smiling at the look of surprise on the Doctor’s face at his ready acceptance, “I trust you, Doctor.”

Gently the Time Lord rested his fingers on Rip’s temples, “Close your eyes.”

 

Rory’s mind had always been interesting.

The Doctor would never forget the day he brought the young nurse onto the TARDIS. Rory had quickly undercut the Doctor’s showing off and explanation of the TARDIS with the answer.

Rory studied, he learned and he did everything he could to be able to have the answer that was needed to any question.

Which didn’t always work, especially when travelling in the TARDIS, but he did his best.

His love for Amy was a flame that burned through him, it made him brave in situations he never thought he could survive and was the one thing that sustained him during two thousand years watching over the box holding her.

The Doctor had only entered the other man’s mind once before, just after they’d discussed the door keeping the overload of memories back. The Doctor had persuaded Rory to let him ensure that Rory was in no danger of being overwhelmed at some point. Using the TARDIS he had reinforced the door but made it easier for Rory to access when he needed the skills.

Rory’s mind had become even more compartmentalised than before. One corner had Rory, one had Captain Williams, one was the Last Centurion and then there was Rip Hunter. There was order despite everything that had happened to him recently. 

It was very Rory.

There was also something else. It was faint, an echo of a wall which felt familiar and the Doctor could feel something he couldn’t name.

Rory let out a gasp when the Doctor left his mind, reaching out and holding onto his friend to remain upright.

“Tell me you found something?” Rory demanded, his hand gripping the Doctor’s sleeve.  


The Doctor nodded, “I found something.”

 

“What do you mean we’re leaving?” River demanded angrily her arms folded across her chest as she stood side by side with Sara Lance. The two women were looking at them with identical frowns.

“I need to check something,” the Doctor explained, “And I need you there to help.”

River frowned but before she could argue Rory touched her arm, “Please, Melody trust us.”

“I hate when you do that,” she sighed in annoyance, “The two of you agree on so little.”

Sara frowned at them, “So what are we doing while they’re away?”

“Gideon has found an aberration for us to fix,” Rory told her, “Or as usually happens, cause utter chaos which somehow works itself out.”

River shared a smile with Sara at her father’s long suffering grimace.

“Right,” the Doctor said, “River, let’s go. Rory, we’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“You have a time machine,” Sara noted, “Won’t you be back straight away?”

Rory laughed, “Yeah, like that’s ever happened.”

The Doctor frowned at Rory before he started out followed by Rory, River and Sara. Reaching the cargo bay where the TARDIS sat Rory stood just outside the door and reached out to touch the blue box.

“Doctor,” he turned, “Can I...”

“Always,” the Doctor replied and opened the doors letting Rory inside. 

River smiled watching him move to the console where he reached out and gently brushed his fingers along it a smile touching his lips. The TARDIS itself thrummed gently in greeting.

“Oh my God,” Sara’s gasp from her side made River chuckle, “It’s bigger on the inside.”

“I never noticed,” River replied amused.

Sara laughed and stepped a little further inside watching Rory.

“You’ve changed it,” Rory noted softly.

River caught the sadness cross the Doctor’s face before he answered, “I felt it needed to be changed.”

Rory turned to the other man and offered his hand, “See you soon, Doctor?”

Rolling his eyes the Doctor hugged Rory tightly, “I’ll be back soon, Rory and we will find her. I promise.”

 

Rip left the TARDIS with Sara and watched as it disappeared before taking a deep breath.

“Shall we get the team?” he asked.

Sara stopped him moving, “I want to know one thing before we do.”

“Which is?” Rip asked.

“How is River your daughter?”

Rip sighed, “It’s complicated.”

“I’m beginning to hate that word,” Sara told him as they headed up to the bridge.

“So am I.”


	7. Chapter 7

Rip half-listened to Sara explain the mission to the team, his mind going over the past few months. Something had been trying to catch his attention but his brain was still a bit overwhelmed with everything making him a little slow.

“Anything to add, Rip?” Sara’s voice pulled him back to the bridge.

“Try not to destroy the timeline,” he said making Sara smile slightly.

Everyone headed to get ready and he turned to her, “Did we just send Mr Rory out to start the Great Fire of London?”

Sara nodded.

“Who asked for the marshmallows?” he asked before holding up his hand, “Let me guess, Ray.”

“Nate actually.”

Rip rolled his eyes, “You corrupted him.”

“Maybe just a little,” Sara shrugged before asking, “What are you thinking about?”

He grimaced, “When the Legion had the Spear they created a world where we were all prisoners and several of the team had their memories altered.”

“I remember the other version of us explaining,” Sara replied.

Rip grimaced, “I remember the actual world.”

“What?” Sara demanded, “How?” before stopping him replying, “And I swear if you tell me it’s complicated I will break something.”

Rip hesitated, “It is complicated and honestly I’m not completely sure. Amy’s bedroom had a crack in the wall which turned out to have been a crack in the skin of reality. Somehow because of this she managed to bring the Doctor back from the other side by remembering him.”

“Still doesn’t explain,” Sara told him “Or make any sense.”

“I spent a lot of time in that room as a kid,” Rip continued, “Slept there more than once. Especially after Amy and I started dating. I think that is why I seem to remember the alternate worlds I’ve lived in.”

“You know I didn’t think knowing a Time Master could get any weirder,” she told him.

Rip chuckled, “Try knowing a Time Lord.”

“Anyway, the reason you’re bringing this up?” Sara asked.

“Both Ray and Nate’s memories seemed to leak through the block,” Rip explained, “And this allowed Ray to create a gun to bring everyone’s memories back.”

“You think this would work on Amy?”

Rip sighed, “I’m hoping. I trust the Doctor but the way she reacted to his name means I doubt she’ll hold still while he enters her mind to remove the block.”

“And you don’t want anyone to hurt her,” Sara said.

He nodded grimly.

She rested a comforting hand on his arm, “We’ll get him working on it as soon as they’re back.”

*********************************************

The TARDIS materialised and River frowned confused as she had no idea where they were.

“Come on,” the Doctor told her leading her outside.

“Where are we?” she demanded looking around the grey landscape from the door because the Doctor stood two steps in front of the box blocking her way out.

He held up his hand and took three large strides forward, stopping he turned to his right and took three more before sidestepping to his left.

River watched him make several more strange moves before she heard a hum go through the world, “Doctor?”

“It’s what I’m waiting for,” he told her.

River watched as a control panel materialised in front of the Doctor, “What?”

“This is a Time Lord outpost,” he told her, “Join me.”

With a shake of her head she moved to his side and watched him tap a complicated sequence of symbols. A sound similar to the one the TARDIS made surrounded them and River gasped as the world around them changed. Gallifreyan symbols covered the walls and she stared at the red sky outside the window.

“Do not touch anything,” the Doctor told her

 

The Doctor left River looking around while he headed to check for the information he hoped was here. He was almost sure that it had been a Time Lord who had created the memory block within Rory’s mind which should be impossible but it wouldn’t be the first time he had been fooled.

By the same Time Lord he was sure he’d sensed.

If the Master was back then Amy was in more danger than he’d originally thought. 

Finding the section he was looking for the Doctor started to search. The problem he had was that this information was not held in any form other than here and it could take some time to find it.

“River,” he called, “I need you to join me.”

She jogged across the room, “What do you need?”

“I need you to go through these volumes and check for any information you can find on STAR.”

River looked at him confused, “What is that?”

“I think that is what our mystery woman is after,” he replied, “And if she gets it she could destroy the universe.”

*********************************************

“That was fun,” Mick noted as he marched back onto the ship a self-satisfied grin on his face.

Rip rolled his eyes, “Well done, Mr Rory. You started one of the most famous fires in history. Please tell me you made sure to start it in the right place.”

Mick slapped him on the shoulder, “You worry too much, Englishman.”

Shaking his head Rip didn’t reply and just waited for Ray to arrive back. The scientist grinned at him when he stepped on board.

“Rip,” Ray said, “Do you need something?”

“Yes,” he motioned the other man to join him. As they walked through the corridors he explained the memory gun that Ray had built in the other timeline.

“Well,” Ray mused, “I suppose I could recreate it. But you still don’t know how to find her.”

Rip grimaced, “Actually I’ve been thinking about that as well.”

“And?” Ray asked.

“Venice,” Rip replied.

 

“Venice?” Sara asked confused as she sat across from him in the study.

Rip nodded, “Do you remember when we went to Venice I asked Gideon if we’d been there before?”

“Yes?”

“Because I had,” Rip told her, “And I had been there in 1580. It was the first trip Rory took in the TARDIS.”

Sara frowned slightly, “Do you know you’re doing that?”

“What?”

“Referring to yourself in the third person,” Sara explained.

Rip leaned back musing this over, “It seems to be the easiest way to deal.”

“Well stop it,” she told him, “You’re Rip and you’re Rory, we understand that.”

He nodded a little surprised.

“So, Venice.”

“The Doctor brought Ro...me on to the TARDIS,” Rip explained, “Then took us to Venice on a date.”

Sara smiled slightly, “How long had you been dating Amy?”

“We were getting married the next morning,” Rip replied, “It’s...”

“Tell me complicated and you will regret it,” Sara warned.

He laughed, “Just long and not relevant but I promise once this is over I will tell you the full story.”

Sara chuckled at his wry reply, “Deal. So your first trip with the Doctor was to Venice which is where we encountered Amy for the first time since you became Rip,” she mused, “So you have an idea where to go to find them?”

Rip nodded, “Florida, 1969.”

“Why there?”

A flash of pain flickered over his face before he replied, “Because that’s where they took her from me.”

 

Sara checked on Ray who was working with Stein to build the memory gun. Jax had also joined them and was sitting with a look of irritation as they ‘conferred’.

“How’s it going?” she asked the youngest member of the team.

Jax shrugged, “They’re discussing the calibration of the beam. Ray’s is over thinking everything because this is for Rip’s wife...other wife...or whatever.”

Sara laughed although she could understand the confusion on how to process this, considering they’d spent so long trying to save Rip’s wife Miranda.

“Ray,” she interrupted the two scientists, “Have you almost got the gun ready?”

He grimaced, “I’m not sure. I think it’s calibrated but I can’t test it.”

“Mr Palmer,” Stein spoke up, “I have reviewed everything you have done and Jefferson has checked to ensure the wiring is correct. It is ready.”

Ray grimaced before lifting the memory gun, “I just want to...”

“Ray,” Sara cut him off, “Stop. We’re on our way to try and retrieve Amy so I need you to be certain that this thing will work.”

He firmed his lips, “Theoretically it should work but,” he added quickly, “We’re assuming the memory block will be broken by it.”

Sara nodded and started out throwing over her shoulder, “Be ready. We’re going to make the jump in an hour.”

 

Rip stood in the doorway to the galley where Mick was sitting eating chocolate from what he thought might be Jax’s stash.

“Stop hovering,” the thief told him without looking up, “Tell me what you want.”

Stepping inside Rip folded his arms across his chest, “I need you to do something for me.”

“Which is?” Mick demanded.

“Whatever happens if we find Amy then I need you to make sure she gets on this ship,” Rip told him, “No matter what happens to me, I need to know she’s safe.”

Mick leaned back and stared at him, “Why ask me?”

“If we get her memories back Amy can be persuasive and I know I can count on you to ignore her or use this,” Rip replied before he placed a medi-pen on the table, “It’s a sedative.”

“If the thing Haircut is working on doesn’t work,” Mick noted.

Rip nodded, “Precisely.”

Mick stared at the sedative for a moment before looking back up at Rip who stared back at him.

“I know we have never seen eye to eye, Mick,” Rip told him, “And that is basically my fault. But I am asking that you protect her because I trust you to not let anything get in your way.”

“You know you’ve never called me that before,” Mick noted.

Rip frowned confused, “What?”

“My name.”

Rip stared at him for several minutes before shrugging, “It looks like my subconscious was trying to tell me something. Can I count on you for this?”

Mick picked up the sedative, “Just because I want to meet the redhead properly and see how insane she drives you.”

 

The Waverider settled into the field in Florida in July 20th 1969. Rip sat watching Sara drive remembering that at this time somewhere else Amy was being held hostage by the Silence while he, the Doctor and River were on their way to rescue her.

“Please let me find her this time,” he muttered before looking up as Sara called his name, “Alright, everyone knows what we’re doing?”

Nods answered him and Rip stopped turning to look at the Legends.

“I want to thank you all for helping,” he said sincerely, “This isn’t what you signed up for when you joined me.”

“Actually it is,” Sara moved to his side, “We agreed to help you save your family, just because none of us were aware how complicated your family is doesn’t mean we’re not still here to help.”

Rip smiled at her.

“Can we move,” Mick snarled, “I want to see if Haircut’s device makes someone’s head explode.”

Unable to stop himself Rip chuckled, laughing harder at the argument that broke out as they headed to the hatch. It was extremely comforting to have them at his back.

They exited the ship and just as the hatch shut a familiar noise sounded and a blue box appeared. 

Rip’s smile faded when the doors opened and Amy appeared with the woman who had taken her from him.

“Hello, Rory,” the woman smiled at him, “Fancy meeting you here.”

 

The Legends all readied to defend themselves but no one else appeared.

“So you’re a Time Lord,” Rip noted gripping his pistol tightly.

“That would be Time Lady, Mr Williams,” she smirked at him, “I’m very impressed. I thought it would take you longer to work out where to come.”

“Venice was quite a clue,” he retorted.

She laughed, “Well, I think it’s time you come with me and Amelia.”

“You’ll find we’re not on board with that idea,” Sara stated coldly from his side.

The woman laughed, “Amelia, why don’t you invite our friend.”

Rip didn’t move when Amy stepped into him a knife appearing at his throat, “Ray.”

The effect was instantaneous. Amy’s eyes widened in shock, the knife falling from her hand and Rip saw the woman step back surprise flickering across her face. Grabbing Amy he pulled her back into the circle of the team, Sara, Amaya and Nate taking up position in front of them.

“Rory?” Amy whispered confused, “What’s happening?”

He stroked her cheek, “It’s okay. I’ve got you back.”

“Actually,” the woman spoke up, “I’m afraid you haven’t. Did you think I wouldn’t have thought you might manage something like this, Rory? It’s time for you to come with me.”

Rip pushed Amy behind him before moving to join Sara, “Why should I do what you want?”

The woman began to laugh, “It was always you I wanted, Rory. Amy was just a little insurance policy or I should say still is my insurance policy.”

Ice slid along Rip’s spine, “What does that mean?”

The woman pulled out a detonator, “Well, you come with me or the explosives I’ve planted into your lovely wife will go boom.”

Rip spun to where Amy stood looking confused at what was going on before he turned back.

“If you hurt her...”

“I won’t,” the woman replied, “If you come with me.”

“Rip,” Sara warned but he ignored her.

“If you hurt Amy or any of my friends...” Rip started only to be cut off by a wave of the woman’s hand. 

“I’ll give you a few minutes to make your goodbyes,” she said.

Rip stared at her before saying, “I watch them get on board and leave then I will walk into your TARDIS without a fight.”

“Just make sure to leave them your coat, your jacket and all weapons you’re carrying,” the woman told him.

Rip slid his coat off and handed it to Ray before following suit with his jacket. He then passed over his gun and the two knives he kept in his boot.

“Rory,” Amy started, her eyes flashing with anger, “You are not doing this.”

“I have to,” he breathed, “I can’t let anything happen to you again.”

Amy gripped his hand, “We go together.”

“No,” he replied glancing up at Mick, “We don’t.”

Before Amy could argue back Mick pressed the medi-pen against her neck and injected her with the sedative. Anger filled her eyes before she collapsed unconscious against Rip’s chest. Rip held her close for a moment kissing the top of her head before handing his sleeping wife to Mick who lifted her into his arms.

“Rip,” Sara said, “Don’t do this.”

He looked into her eyes, “Trust me, Sara. This is for the best. Now take your team to safety and get Amy to Gideon.”

She stared at him for several moments before nodding and motioned the Legends back to the Waverider.

Rip stood watching his ship leave before he walked towards the woman and her TARDIS. The moment he stepped inside something slammed into the back of his head and he collapsed to the floor. 

The last thing he heard was the woman laughing.


	8. Chapter 8

Mick rested the woman he was carrying with great care on the chair in the medical bay stepping back to let Sara attach the medical cuff so Gideon could start checking her vitals.

“Gideon,” Sara called.

“Yes, Captain Lance,” the AI replied.

“Please scan Amy for any explosives,” she ordered.

There was a pause before the screen lit up showing a scan of the woman and a small spot at her lower back was highlighted.

“That would be the bomb,” Mick growled, “Can you remove it, Gideon?”

Silence answered his question before Gideon finally replied, “The patient will need to be turned onto her stomach.”

Mick slid his arms around the unconscious woman, gently turning her over. Sara fixed her clothes to reveal Amy’s lower back. They watched as Gideon surgically removed the small device, storing the tiny ball of explosives in a reinforced container. 

 

Mick turned their guest so she was lying on her back once more.

“We need her to tell us what she knows now,” Sara grimaced, “Gideon, can you wake her?”

A few moments passed, “I can counteract the sedative. Captain Hunter ensured she was given one that could be.”

“Isn’t Rip the clever one,” Mick muttered.

Sara rolled her eyes at him, “I have a feeling he knew something like this would happen.”

“Captain Hunter wanted to make sure that he covered all possible eventualities,” Gideon spoke up.

“Remind me to hit him over the head,” Sara grimaced, “Gideon?”

“Miss Pond is now waking.”

“Thank you, Gideon,” Sara shared a look with Mick who was leaning against the wall still watching over the redhead for some reason, “Amy? Amy, can you hear me?”

Amy took several deep breaths in as her eyes opened slowly; she looked around the room finally focussing on Sara standing above her.

“I can hear you,” Amy breathed still groggy from the sedative, “Where am I?”

Hitting the button to allow the chair to sit her up properly Sara gave as comforting a smile as she could manage.

“This is the Waverider,” she told the other woman, “You’re safe.”

“Rory?” Amy gasped fear in her voice, “Where’s Rory?”

Sara winced surprised when Mick spoke up, “He went with the woman.”

“No,” Amy cried, “The idiot. It’s a trap and the moron just walked into it.”

“I like her,” Mick noted making Sara glare at him.

Turning back to their guest Sara offered her hand to help her out of the chair, “We know. But I have a feeling he planned for this. Am I right, Gideon?” 

“Captain Hunter swallowed a tracker before leaving the ship,” Gideon advised before adding, “Unfortunately I am unable to find any trace of the signal.”

 

Amy wanted to scream. 

Ten seconds she’d had him back for, ten seconds where they knew who each other truly was and now he was gone again. 

She took a few deep breaths and wished the Doctor was here because he would be able to help. 

“Amy,” the woman who introduced herself as Sara said, “I know this seems bad but Rip has been in worse situations. We will get him back.”

“I need to find the Doctor,” Amy told her.

Sara nodded, “He should return soon.”

A small hope blossomed in Amy, “Return?”

“Yes, he and River went to look into something,” Sara explained, “He promised to be back soon.”

Relief filled her. The Doctor knew the Angel hadn’t taken them somewhere he couldn’t follow.

“Captain Lance,” Gideon spoke up, “Miss Pond, there is a temporal disturbance within the cargo bay that indicates the TARDIS is returning.”

“Are you sure it’s the right TARDIS?” Amy asked before adding indignantly, “And it’s Mrs Williams.”

“Captain Hunter set up a signal so that I would know it was the Doctor returning,” Gideon answered the first question before adding, “And my apologies, Mrs Williams. Captain Hunter referred to you as Amy Pond.”

“Will we go,” Sara moved Amy out of the room and down to where the blue box was sitting.

Amy clenched her fists nervously. Despite Gideon’s assurances this was the Doctor she couldn’t stop the fear that Missy would appear.

The door opened and Amy felt tears fill her eyes when her childhood imaginary friend appeared. He stalled staring at her.

“Amy?”

Without a word she threw her arms around him.

*********************************************

The Doctor read the information in front of him for the third time. 

This was not good but it did explain why Rory had been taken and turned back into a child to grow up again as Rip.

“River,” he called to his companion, “Have you taken a copy of everything I asked?”

“Almost,” she replied, “Though I don’t understand why we can’t just take the things with us.”

The Doctor looked up at her, “Because the security system will stop that. There is a reason I can’t access this from the TARDIS, River.”

River frowned confused, “Considering you and the Time Lords didn’t get along I find it strange that you have access to this at all.”

The Doctor picked up the notes and copies they’d made, “Because I was once made the President and they never revoked my codes.”

River shook her head and headed back into the TARDIS with the information she had gathered, ready to return to Rory and work on saving her mother. The Doctor shut down the outpost once more before returning to the TARDIS. 

He quickly set the co-ordinates before sending the signal to allow Gideon know it was him returning. When they landed the Doctor started out straight away to speak to Rory.

“Doctor,” the familiar voice surprised him.

“Amy?” he breathed catching her when she threw her arms around him. Pulling back he stared at her, “Pond, are you okay?”

“No,” she replied, “Rory let himself be taken.”

The Doctor hugged her again, so happy to see her despite the knowledge that her husband had just put himself in more danger than he had been in before.

“Mother?” River’s surprised voice interrupted them.

Amy pulled away and hugged River tightly. Leaving mother and daughter for the moment the Doctor walked over to Sara who was simply watching the reunion patiently.

“What did he do?”

Sara grimaced, “Something very stupid.”

 

“Rip worked out where Amy would be,” Sara explained to the Doctor as they headed up to the bridge, “We managed to remove the memory block but the woman who did this had placed a bomb in Amy’s spine.”

“What?”

“She’s fine,” Sara assured him, “Gideon removed it and checked her for any other surprises. However the threat was enough to make Rip go with her.”

“Oh, Rory,” frustration filled the Doctor’s voice, “Why do you keep doing this?”

“Doctor,” Amy said, “Do you know why Missy wants him?”

“Missy?” all three asked stopping dead to stare at her.

Amy shrugged, “That’s what she calls herself.”

“Not a name I recognise,” the Doctor murmured before wrapping his arm around Amy, “I have an idea why Rory has been taken...”

“Do not sugar-coat this, Raggedy Man,” Amy told him her eyes darkening when he trailed off.

“Why don’t we get to the study before we have this discussion,” Sara told them.

The Doctor nodded and they started walking again. River holding onto Amy’s arm in a way reminiscent to how she’d held onto Rory when they’d met up again earlier.

 

Sara waited for their three guests to take their seats while she remained standing for the moment. Rip had taken her to one side before they’d left the ship for their meeting in 1969 and asked her whatever happened to make sure Amy was safe. 

She was his priority in all of this.

Personally Sara was going to sell tickets when Amy got a hold of him for making the decision for her. They might not have enough popcorn onboard for that particular show.

“Okay,” Sara said, “Doctor, you said you have an idea what’s going on.”

The Time Lord nodded, “There is a...let’s call it a device that was so dangerous the Time Lords hid it away from everyone. They then created a lock of sorts so that it could never be found. Unfortunately Rory is the key to this lock.”

“Why?” Amy asked as Sara asked, “How?”

The Doctor let out a long sigh, “Once erased from time, lived for longer than his years, with two full childhoods. Rory has defied death more than once. He is in many ways an anomaly the Time Lords never thought would happen.”

“Will this kill him?” Amy whispered fear in her voice.

The Doctor grimaced, “I don’t know, Amy. I’m sorry but I don’t.”

“Do we know where she’ll have taken him?” Sara spoke up.

River grimaced, “Unfortunately the information we found wasn’t specific.”

“Actually it’s Rory who will show this Missy the way,” the Doctor corrected, “He’s not just the key, he’s the map.”

Sara rubbed her forehead as she paced, “Okay, Gideon said Rip swallowed a tracker but she can’t find the signal. Can you?”

The Doctor frowned in thought, “It’s possible. Gideon, I’ll need you to connect to the TARDIS,” he turned to Amy and River, “I’m going to find him.”

*********************************************

Pain blossomed in his head as consciousness slid into the blackness. Rip took stock of what he could sense of wherever he was. He was on the floor, a cold metallic surface and he couldn’t feel any movement of air so doubted there was air conditioning.

It smelled clean but there wasn’t any strong detergent smell.

Forcing his eyes open it took a few moments for them to adjust to the dim light coming from one single bulb above him creating a cone of light. Rip knew it was his entire cell before he reached out and felt the energy shield surrounding him.

“It’s about time you woke up,” a familiar voice made him freeze in surprise and anger.

Rip stared at the man who entered the light in front of him, “Druce?”

The Time Master, the man Rip had looked up to for so long, who had tried to kill him and who had ordered the murder of Rip’s family smirked as Rip glared at him.

“How?” Rip demanded angrily sure that the man had died when Snart had blown up the Occulus.

Druce continued to smirk at him, “I have some powerful friends, Rip.”

“So do I,” Rip snarled at him.

“Yes, your ‘Legends’,” Druce laughed, “I’m sure they’re looking for you. After all your lies and they way you used them for your own ends.”

“Now, now, now, boys,” the voice of the woman came as she stepped out of the darkness, “Behave or I’ll have to separate you.”

Druce nodded, “Missy, Rip and I were just catching up.”

“Missy?”

“Are you going to make fun of my name, Rip?” she mocked.

He folded his arms across his chest, “Just making sure I get the name of who hurt my wife.”

She began to laugh, “Amy enjoyed herself with me. Especially with all the men she met while in my care.”

Rip knew she wanted him to react so kept his face schooled in the same cold expression he had perfected as the Centurion. After a few moments of silence Missy realised that he wasn’t going to jump through that particular hoop.

“Well, Rory,” Missy said, “Or do you prefer Rip?” when he refused to answer she shrugged, “Whatever you like, it’s time for you to do what I brought you here for.”

“No.”

Missy continued to smile at him, “Our deal was I let your friends and Amy go...”

“And I come with you,” Rip finished for her, “I at no time said I would do what you want.”

Missy’s eyes flashed but her voice stayed as steady as it had been, “You will do what I say, Captain Hunter.”

Rip leaned forward and smirked at her, “Not a chance in hell.”

She turned and walked away leaving Druce watching him.

“You will regret that, Rip,” Druce told him.

Rip sat in the centre of his prison and said nothing watching the other man stalk away.

“Okay, Doctor,” Rip breathed to himself, “Come find me.”


	9. Chapter 9

Amy would never forget the moment she realised that she truly loved Rory Williams. 

She always knew she cared for him. She couldn’t go a day without talking to him no matter how innocuous the conversation was. She agreed to marry him, even if she’d managed to hold off the actual day by flying away in a time machine, and was happy about it. 

Rory had always been there, he would do anything for her and she knew it, in some ways she took advantage of him because of it.

But the moment she thought he was gone, when she thought he had been turned to dust by an alien creature and there was a possibility she would never see him ever again Amy knew she couldn’t live without him.

She remembered the kiss he gave her when he realised that she had basically killed herself and the Doctor so she could see him again. 

The joy and love in it meant she knew he would always be by her side.

Except now he wasn’t.

He was in the hands of a madwoman who had already turned him into a child sending him to live another life away from her.

“Here,” Sara placed a mug in front of her, “I thought you might want some tea.”

Amy gave the other woman a sad smile, “Thank you.”

“We’ll get him back,” Sara told her, “Trust me we’re not going to let that woman get away with this.”

“What’s he like?” Amy asked thoughtfully.

Sara frowned a little confused, “Who?”

“Rip Hunter,” Amy clarified, “I know Rory but I only met him as Rip when he was under the influence of Thawne and I wasn’t me.”

A smile touched Sara’s lips, “Intense, intelligent, annoying, loyal. I trust him with my life and I am going to smack him upside the head when we get him back for going with the madwoman.”

Amy laughed softly, “You’ll have to get in line behind me.”

“I guess you have seniority,” Sara conceded before asking, “What’s Rory like?”

“Sweet, caring, patient, the best man I have ever known,” Amy smiled again before sighing, “Does he know I picked him?”

“What?” Sara asked confused.

“I need him to know that I chose him over the Doctor,” Amy rubbed her hand over her face, “He believed that he loved me more than I love him. I need him to know that isn’t true, that I chose him, that I’ll always choose him.”

Sara reached out and took Amy’s hand, “If he doesn’t know then he will once we get him back.”

Gripping the mug Amy drank her tea as Sara left her alone with her thoughts once more.

 

From the moment he’d seen Amelia Jessica Pond, Rory had been in love. 

True he’d barely been seven years old and had no concept of what love was. All he knew was that when his mum had dragged him round to meet the new people in the village on behalf of the village council, because Mrs Hepworth was visiting her sister, he saw an angel.

Amelia wasn’t happy to be taken from her home to come to live in Leadworth and definitely didn’t want to make friends with the boy whose mother was talking with hers. 

She soon realised though that she had a very willing partner in crime who followed her lead with little complaint. 

As they grew up Rory remained completely loyal to his flame haired angel hoping one day she would look at him the way he looked at her.

Finally she did, even though it was one of the most embarrassing moments of his entire life when she found out how he felt for her. 

Their first kiss happened a few days later. 

Rory had avoided Amy for three days still totally mortified by what had happened but his gran needed a lift to the church fete with her home-baking so he was forced out of hiding. He helped her empty the boot before he sat in his car brooding. Suddenly Amy climbed into the passenger seat and without a word kissed him as the Macarena played on the radio.

Rip held onto these memories while pain shot through his body as he hung from the ceiling by his wrists.

 

“You know this can end,” Druce told him, “All you have to do is agree to help us.”

Rip slowly raised his head, “Go to hell.”

Druce punched him and Rip’s head snapped to the side blood welling up in his mouth, spitting out the blood he glared at the man he’d once called friend.

“So you’ve become someone else’s lackey now Savage is dead,” Rip snarled at him, “The great Time Master Druce nothing but a lapdog.”

The next punch broke one of his ribs, Rip focussed on taking shallow breaths ignoring the man taunting him about his failures, about Miranda, about Jonas.

“If you don’t do what we want,” Druce’s voice filtered through the pain, “Then we will have to find another way. I’m sure Amy will make you much more co-operative.”

Rip turned his full attention on the man standing there, his eyes dark with anger before he began to laugh.

“If you think the Doctor will let her out of his sight until this is over,” Rip smirked at him, “You’re even more of an idiot than I thought. The Doctor will come and he will lay waste to whatever plans you’ve made, probably making quite a few bad puns as he does. You have no idea what you’re up against.”

Druce stared at him, “You’re waiting to be rescued.”

“I’m not the one he comes for,” Rip snarled, the broken rib making it painful to talk, “But you took Amy from him, you took us from our daughter and he’s not called the ‘Oncoming Storm’ for nothing,” he let out a harsh laugh, “With him will come the Legends and you’ve pissed off almost every one of them. All I have to do is stand and hold their coats.”

Druce turned away for a moment and picked up a taser stick.

“If you’re still alive when they get here, Rip,” he replied with a sinister smile, “You’re only useful to us if you give us what we want.”

Pain pulsed through him and Rip let out a cry before he let unconsciousness take him once more.

*********************************************

“No, no, no, no, no.”

River winced when the Doctor kicked the console in frustration, it had been several hours since they’d returned and they were no closer to picking up Rory’s tracker signal than they had been when they first arrived.

“Doctor,” she said softly, “Perhaps you should take a break.”

The Doctor dropped his head, “I can’t stop. I can’t lose Rory again, River. I can’t let Amy lose him again. I can’t let you lose him.”

“And you’re not,” she assured him, “But you’re not going to be any use to him if you collapse from exhaustion.”

He dropped into the seat and sighed, “Rory’s first death was because he pushed me out of the way. I had to drag Amy into the TARDIS to get us to safety while she screamed for him,” he scrubbed his hand through his hair, “Then I had to try to get her to hold onto his memory because he was pulled into one of the cracks.”

“I didn’t know,” she whispered crouching beside him.

The Doctor rested his hand on her cheek, “Your father, bravest man I have ever known and one of the best friends I have ever had. I can’t let him down.”

Taking his hand River smiled, “I know you won’t.”

Taking a deep breath the Doctor stood once more, “Let’s try this once more.”

 

Sara grabbed a bottle of water taking deep breaths to settle herself. She’d come down to work out for a while needing to do something to get rid of the excess energy that came from feeling so completely useless.

She knew she should have done something. Rip was her friend she shouldn’t have let him walk into what they all knew was a trap. Hearing a noise she turned and found Amy standing.

“Sorry,” the redhead said softly, “I was just walking...”

Sara smiled as she trailed off, “It’s not a problem. You’re welcome to wander. Gideon will stop you going anywhere restricted.”

“Thanks,” Amy gave a tight smile.

Sara nodded, she grabbed a towel turning back to find Amy holding her staff and tentatively going through a few positions with it.

“Can you use that?” Sara asked interested.

Amy shrugged, “I think so. My memories were altered. I don’t know what’s real right now.”

Picking up the spare staff Sara took up a defensive position, “Okay, show me what you remember.”

Hesitantly Amy attacked becoming a little more confident in her moves after a few minutes.

“Good,” Sara said, “Widen your stance a little.”

Following the instructions Amy attacked again.

 

Amy accepted the bottle of water from Sara feeling more than a little stunned that she could actually fight like that. All the time she’d spent with the Doctor she had learned some skills but nothing like this.

Rory knew how to use a sword and, despite pretending that he didn’t, Amy was well aware of how often he would go through training drills to ensure he didn’t get rusty. 

“It looks like whatever the training was,” Sara told her, “Either it was real or you had some amazing memories implanted but you have some skill and apparently muscle memory. Once we get Rip back if you like I can set up a proper training routine we can work with.”

Amy hesitated, she’d just assumed that they would go home once she got Rory back and they were safe. She hadn’t thought that the people here would want him to stay with them. Anguish filled her as she remembered that Rory now had a full life that had absolutely nothing to do with her. What if she didn’t fit into it?

Finally she gave Sara a small nod, “Thanks.”

“Captain Lance, Mrs Williams,” Gideon spoke up suddenly, “The Doctor has requested you come to the TARDIS.”

“We’re on our way, Gideon,” Sara replied as she and Amy headed into the corridor.

*********************************************

He was cold and alone.

All he had in the world was a knife. It helped him steal which meant he at least got some food to stay alive.

Then she came. 

Kind and gentle, she gave him food wrapping a blanket around him to keep him warm, gathering him up taking him to the Time Masters who gave him purpose.

For the first time he could remember he was clean, warm, well-fed and felt safe.

 

“I thought you said we needed him to have all his memories?” Druce asked as he watched Missy manipulate the man’s dreams.

“We do,” she replied, “But it should work if he is in a dream-state.”

Druce nodded, “How long will this take?”

“We’ll need to go through this process a few more times,” Missy smiled slowly, “Once he wakens then you can repeat your little display of male bravado. Being injured makes it easier for me to work with his dreams.”

Druce nodded, “Trust me I’m more than happy to torture the arrogant little bastard. He destroyed everything I worked for.”

With an amused chuckle Missy turned back to watching the dreams sliding around the mind of her captive. 

This would be fun.

*********************************************

The Doctor looked up when Amy and Sara walked onto the TARDIS.

“Have you found him yet?” Amy demanded as she reached the console.

“No,” the Doctor told her, “But,” he added quickly before she could say anything, “I have an idea”

“Which is?” Sara asked before Amy could.

The Doctor smiled slightly, “You two.”

The two women shared a confused look before turning back to him questioningly.

“I need the two people who care about him most in each of his identities,” the Doctor explained, “Using the TARDIS we will try and create a psychic link which we can then use to track him.”

Sara looked at him confused, “Why me?”

“You care about Rip,” River noted appearing from nowhere.

Sara shrugged, “He’s my friend but technically Gideon is the closest to him as Rip.”

“Unfortunately Gideon is an AI so that won’t work,” the Doctor replied, “There is no way to create a psychic link.”

“You are our next option. You entered his mind to free him after Eobard Thawne altered his personality,” River told her, “You were the one to persuade him to fight back.”

Sara stared at them, “How do you know that?”

“Gideon told us,” the Doctor replied with a shrug.

River rested her hand on Sara’s arm, “Rory told her to provide us with any and all information we needed when we first arrived.”

Sara shook her head in annoyance, “Yes, I care about him. And we’ll be having words about him not telling me everything when we get him back,” she grimaced before adding, “After Amy’s finished with him.”

“Excellent,” the Doctor said, “Take a seat and River will plug you in.”

“Plug us in?” Amy demanded before Sara could.

River moved them to the two beanbags that were sitting in the middle of the floor, “To the TARDIS. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Really?” Sara winced as Amy took her seat.

River nodded, “The TARDIS is very fond of my father.”

Sara looked at the three of them and gave in, “Okay, plug me in.”

*********************************************

Rip cried out as the knife sliced along his ribs despite trying to keep silent. He was exhausted and his entire body ached. His mind felt cloudy as though filled with cotton wool and all he wanted to do was let go but he knew he couldn’t.

Another punch cracked his rib. He was almost sure the same rib had been broken already at some point then healed but he couldn’t remember when that was or how it happened.

He knew he needed to escape but he couldn’t remember where he was or who held him captive. 

Rip tried to focus, tried to get his brain to shake the fog surrounding him but he couldn’t.

Pain shot through his body and he gave in slipping into the blackness once more.

But before he surrendered completely to unconsciousness he heard a woman’s voice, “This time let’s focus on Rory.”

 

Amy’s arms slid around his waist hugging him from behind as he stood at the TARDIS console. Rory smiled, turning to her and everything else disappeared as his wife kissed him softly.

“So,” she slid her hands into his back pockets, “The Doctor wants to know where we want to go now.”

“Wherever you want,” he smiled enjoying the small kisses she was pressing to his neck.

Amy pulled back and shook her head, “This time you get to choose. Come on,” she took his hand and pulled him over to the screen which showed a star map, “The Doctor says all he wants is for you to point to wherever you want to go.”

Rory hesitated, there was something odd about this but Amy distracted him by whispering in his ear, “Try and choose somewhere romantic.”

Shrugging he pointed to the top right corner of the screen, “Let’s try there.”

“Good boy,” Amy breathed pressing a kiss to his cheek.

The world tilted to one side and Rory fell into the darkness again.


	10. Chapter 10

He stood with his head down listening to the man who had brought him here speak with the woman in charge. His knife was in his pocket and his hand reflexively gripped it to calm himself.

“Michael,” the woman said softly making him look up at her, “Welcome to the Refuge. Come with me and I’ll show you to your room.”

Druce took his shoulder and turned him, “You’ll be well looked after here, Michael and when you’re ready you will be able to join the Time Masters.”

Michael nodded before going with the woman knowing he had no other choice. They walked through the corridors of the house where other children ran about.

Reaching the top of the stairs he saw a star map on the wall. Moving to it he reached out and gently touched a small pink dot on the bottom left of the picture.

“Good boy,” he heard before everything became black again.

 

Rip forced his eyes open. 

He was lying on the floor, the cold seeping into his back and every part of him ached. 

It felt like he’d gone ten rounds with...someone, he couldn’t even think of a name to finish that thought.

“Rory,” Missy appeared above him with a fake concerned look on her face, “How do you feel?”

He managed to turn onto his hands and knees glaring at her.

“Well, dear,” she smiled, “You don’t have to worry. We’re almost at our destination.”

“I won’t help you,” Rip spat at her.

Missy chuckled, “My dear boy, you already have. That mind of yours is full of places and people to use to give me the map references. You’ve already showed us where to go.”

“No.”

“Yes,” she laughed, “Now I’m sure the Doctor will be coming for you and I can’t afford to let him interfere with my plans. It won’t be much longer.”

Rip forced himself to his feet, “If you know him then you should know better than to fight him. He will stop you, even if I die again.”

Missy chuckled amused, “Not afraid to die?”

“I’ve done it before,” Rip snarled at her.

“You should get some rest,” she told him, “We’ll be there soon. I want you to be able to stand while you watch unable to do anything to stop me.”

Rip managed to wait until she left him alone before he dropped to the floor, exhaustion pulled at him and he slipped into unconsciousness once more.

 

“Listen to me,” the Doctor said as he readied himself to leave, “This is the last bit of advice you’re going to get in a very long time. You’re living plastic, but you’re not immortal. I have no idea how long you’ll last. And you’re not indestructible. Stay away from heat and radio signals when they come along. You can’t heal, or repair yourself. Any damage is permanent. So, for God's sake, however bored you get, stay out of...”

Rory stared for a second at the empty space the Time Lord had recently occupied before he pulled his helmet on and settled in to watch over the box containing the woman he loved.

After a few minutes he started to walk the full room, so he could see what space he had and how easy it was to defend.

“Wow, you have great legs,” a familiar voice made him spin to the blonde stood with an amused look on her face.

“Sara?”

The assassin smirked at him as she stood leaning against the Pandorica with her arms folded across her chest.

“No, no, no,” Rory breathed pulling his helmet off rubbing the bridge of his nose, “This is wrong, you’re not here. She’s trying to confuse me.”

“It’s not Missy,” the voice he ached for came from behind him and he spun.

“Amy?”

Her arms moved around him and she clung to him as he held onto her before he pulled away.

“I don’t understand,” he whispered, “I don’t...”

Amy rested her forehead against his, “It’s okay. Rory, the TARDIS is projecting us into your mind.”

He shook his head confused, memories of other dreams coming where he’d inadvertently helped the madwoman.

“You don’t have to tell us anything,” Sara took over seeing he was getting distressed, “We’re just in your head so the Doctor can find you. At least this time there’s not evil versions of the team trying to kill us.”

Rory stared still confused, “The TARDIS...”

“You know how much she likes you,” Amy told him, “Just hold on and she will bring us to get you. I promise.”

Sara moved to their side, “Not to mention Gideon is getting pissy knowing you’re in trouble and we can’t find you. So you hold on, okay?”

Rory nodded, “I’ll do my best.”

 

Amy gasped as opened her eyes finding herself back in the TARDIS, she heard Sara at her side let out a similar gasp of surprise.

“Well?” River asked from beside them.

“We spoke with him,” Amy let out a sigh, “He knows we’re coming.”

River caught Amy in a tight embrace, “It’s alright, Mother.”

“He’s scared,” Amy whispered, “She’s hurting him.”

River rocked her gently, “Rory is strong, Mother you know that. He managed to survive two thousand years waiting for you. This is nothing.”

“Two thousand years?” Sara suddenly asked from her side.

Amy turned to the other woman, “It’s complicated.”

Sara rolled her eyes dropping her head back against the beanbag she was slumped in, “I swear I’m going to get an answer one day from any of you that isn’t the word ‘Complicated’.”

“Doctor?” Amy called as she pulled herself to her feet, “Have you found him?”

The Doctor nodded, “Sara...”

“I’m coming with you,” Sara noted determination in her eyes, “Just give me one minute.”

They watched her head down to the door, open it and called to Gideon telling her what was happening before she turned back to them.

“Let’s go.”

The Doctor looked at the three women who were standing watching him.

“Alright,” he told them, “This may take some time as they are moving. But we are going to find him.”

Amy frowned at him, “Just go.”

With a deep breath he started the TARDIS and they all gripped the console tightly.

*********************************************

Missy stood looking in awe at her prize as it sat glowing before her. This was what she’d worked so long for and now it was hers. She could get rid of Druce and then the Doctor. She was musing over taking the humans and placing them in a reality they would never find one another again no matter how close they came. Or she might just go with her original idea of having Amelia kill her husband and leave her trapped knowing what she’d done.

Stretching out to touch her prize she cried out in pain when an energy barrier appeared stopping her getting near it.

“Damn,” she muttered, it looked like she still needed the Centurion/Nurse/Time Master. The Time Lords were good at protecting their weapons, although she had proven they were not good enough because the Doctor had managed to accidentally make the key from one of his human pets.

“Druce,” she called to her ‘partner’, “We need Captain Hunter here now.”

“How conscious does he need to be?” the former Time Master asked darkly.

“I need him to be able to walk,” Missy replied before adding, “You can kill him once he’s done this.”

 

Rip gasped and choked as ice cold water was thrown over him.

“Are you awake?” Druce’s voice came from above him.

Rip wiped his face and looked up at the man, “I think I’ll sleep in.”

Another bucket was thrown over him.

“I’m guessing you’re up now,” smugness radiated from Druce, “On your feet or we’ll see how much fun the taser is when you’re soaking wet.”

Forcing himself to stand Rip kept his focus on the other man, knowing the Doctor was on his way gave him hope and he knew all he had to do was stall. He could do that, he’d done it plenty of times over the years.

Thankfully his most recent injuries had been healed to a point that it was mostly bruising so he could move although every part of his body ached. 

He was marched out of Missy’s TARDIS and into a small room. He wasn’t quite sure if it was the room or his eyes but the whole place seemed to be an optical illusion of a star field and it was making him feel nauseous.

Missy stood just in front of what looked like a window with a bright light in the centre.

“Well, Mr Williams,” she greeted him with a grin, “You have one final thing to do for me then I’ll let you go home to Amy.”

“No,” Rip stated coldly.

“Don’t you want to be with your dear wife again?” she asked with mock sweetness, “After all you went through to get her back.”

Rip shrugged, “I’m not an idiot. I know there is no way I’m getting out of this alive if I give you what you want.”

“Even less chance if you don’t do what we want,” Druce replied.

Rip shrugged again asking smugly, “What are you going to do?”

Missy began to laugh, “Oh, you’re so sweet thinking that you have an actual choice in this.”

He forced himself not to react, not to let the panic he felt at her amusement show in his face. Folding his arms across his chest Rip desperately wished to hear the sound of the TARDIS echoing through the room bringing the rescue party. 

But it didn’t come and Rip knew he was on his own. 

 

Druce suddenly grabbed Rip’s shoulders. 

Under normal circumstances Rip would be able to throw him off but the beatings he’d received over the past few hours or days or however long it was since he’d been here had sapped his strength.

“All I need is for you to take it,” Missy told him, “And that’s what you’re going to do.”

Before he could protest Rip was pushed forward, automatically he reached out to stop himself and the next thing he knew the light was in his hands. As he tried to get his bearings Missy reached out to take it from him.

If he had still been simply Rory she would have managed to take it and everything would have gone to hell but he wasn’t simply Rory. He was also a Roman Centurion, a military officer and a fully trained Time Master whose reflexes were honed for attacks. Pulling back the light out of her reach Rip felt power begin to flow through him.

 

Rip had seen other realities, he remembered other lives but had never been able to do anything about them but now he could. He could see everything, he could control everything.

“You can change the world,” a voice came, “You can bring back those people you’ve lost. Your loved ones in every life no longer lost to you.”

All the people he’d loved and lost floated through his mind, the people his friends had lost and he knew how easy it was to bring them back.

“Rip.”

The voice made him freeze and looking at his side he felt his throat constrict, “Miranda?” he stared as she stood before him giving him that smile that always made him feel there was no one else in the world. Still as beautiful as she’d been the day they met.

“Oh,” her hand gently caressed his cheek, “My dear Rip. You know you can’t bring us back.”

“I can,” Rip whispered achingly, “I can save you. I can save Jonas and let him have the life he was meant to have.”

“No.

“I can bring my mother back,” he continued, “I can give Amy back her baby, I can bring back Snart, I can bring back Sara’s sister, I can...”

“Stop,” Miranda commanded, “You know you can’t do this.”

Rip looked down at the light he held in his hands, he could see so much and had the ability to change whatever he wanted.

“Amy is waiting for you,” Miranda told him, turning him to look at her, “If you do this she won’t be there. Not the Amy you know and love.”

Guilt stabbed through him, “Miranda.”

“It’s alright,” she soothed, “I know you love me. I know that Rip Hunter loves me but you’re more than Rip Hunter and you’re allowed to be happy.”

He rested his head against hers, “I miss you but I don’t know...”

“Thankfully for all of us you never have to make that choice,” she smiled at him, “Now you know what you have to do.”

Resting his hand on her cheek Rip kissed her softly, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replied with a smile, “Now end this.”

 

Rip’s focus returned to the room and he saw the two people responsible for so much pain in his life standing there.

He knew that he could do anything to them, pay them back for all the pain they’d caused but then he thought of the Miranda and what she would want him to do.

Rip used the power from the light to hold them in place, “You played with my life,” he stated coldly, “You had people I loved hurt and killed. You are just extremely lucky that I would never disappoint the people I love by becoming like you.”

With a swipe of his hand Missy was thrown back into her TARDIS, he set the controls into a loop that would hold her a prisoner until the Doctor could deal with her properly. He then turned his attention to Druce.

“Rip,” he held his hands up, “You don’t want to do this.”

Stepping forward Rip glared at the man, “You have no idea what I want to do to you after what you did to my family. But I won’t turn into you.”

Druce cried out before Rip sent him bound and gagged back to a time where he would have no way to find the technology to travel in time again and would be thought insane if he mentioned it at all.

Rip started to shake as the power began to burn him and he didn’t know how to stop it.

To his relief the sound of the TARDIS filled the room and the blue box appeared. The door opened and the Doctor ran out with Amy, River and Sara just behind him.

“Rory,” the Doctor called.

Rip’s hands were shaking and his knuckles were white as he gripped the light.

“Doctor, help me,” he cried, “It won’t let me release it.”

“Yes, it will,” the Doctor said softly, “Focus on what you want, what it can’t give you.”

Rip struggled but the one thought came to him quickly and he called, “Amy.”

“Rory,” Amy cried, “I’m here. Please come back to me.”

Closing his eyes Rip took a deep breath and threw the light away from him. The power that had flowed through him left instantly and Rip collapsed.

He heard several voices calling to him. 

Before he slipped into the blackness again he saw Amy above him and smiled.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this is later than normal but I've not been near my computer until now. One more chapter to go after this.

Rip forced his eyes open recognising the medical bay.

“Gideon?”

“I’m here, Captain,” she replied.

He sighed happy to be home, “How long have I been unconscious?”

“It has been six hours since you were returned to the Waverider,” Gideon explained, “I have healed your injuries fully.”

“The crew?”

“They are all in the galley having breakfast at the moment,” Gideon told him.

Sitting up he rubbed his hand across his face before asking the question he wanted to know the answer to, “Where’s Amy?”

“She sat with you for hours but I sent her to get something to eat,” the Doctor answered making Rip turn surprised he hadn’t realised the other man was in the room with him.

“Doctor,” Rip sighed in relief, “Thank you.”

The Time Lord moved to his side, “I did nothing, Rory except bring you back here.”

“You managed to send Amy and Sara to let me know you were coming,” Rip replied, standing and stretching, “It was how I held on.”

He quickly studied the readouts to check the results of Gideon’s scan on him to make sure there was nothing lingering from his incarceration before turning back to the Doctor.

“So,” Rip said, “Are you going to tell me what that was I nearly used to change reality?”

The Doctor dropped to sit on one of the other seats, “Back when my people first learned to travel in time there was a young Time Lady called Star. She was a genius, even by the level of my people. She was part of the first generation to be able to regenerate. Unfortunately her parents were killed in an accident within her laboratory. Star became obsessed in finding a way to speak to them again and she learned how to traverse other realities as well as make changes to this one.”

“The light was a way to move realities,” Rip mused.

The Doctor nodded, “In actuality the light was Star. That was what the experiments did to her. The Time Lords were unable to destroy her but knew it was dangerous for her to be where people could use what she had become. So they hid her and created a lock of sorts that they believed would be impossible to open.”

“But I...” Rip started before frowning in realisation, “Huh.”

The Doctor nodded, “Everything that happened to you forged you into the key to open the lock, which this Missy solidified by returning you to a child so you would grow up into Rip Hunter.”

Rip frowned for a moment, “When I held it...her...whatever I heard a voice telling me I could change things. That I could bring back all people I’d lost. That I could bring back Miranda and Jonas. I wanted to do it. I was so tempted to change all the bad things that had happened to me and everyone I love.”

“What stopped you?” the Doctor asked.

Rip sighed sadly, “Miranda. I spoke with her and she told me I couldn’t change things. It was...cathartic.”

“That would be the failsafe the Time Lords added,” the Doctor explained grimacing, “I’m sorry, Rory this was my fault.”

Rip looked at him incredulously, “How?”

“You became the key because I was selfish,” the Doctor explained, “Because I wanted to show off to you and Amy.”

“Doctor, I make my own choices,” Rip reminded his friend sharply, “You aren’t taking the blame for this. I chose to come with you and Amy, I chose to step in front of that weapon to save you, I chose to stay with the Pandorica for two thousand years. I made those choices.”

“But...”

“No,” Rip cut him off, “I’m not allowed to blame myself for things I couldn’t predict and neither are you.”

The Doctor stared at him for a moment before hugging him tightly, “I forgot how little I can get away with around you,” he released Rip, “You should check on Amy. She’s worried about you.”

Rip pushed a hand through his hair, “I’ll talk to you later.”

“I moved the picture of Miranda and Jonas that is in your room into your top drawer and Sara ensured no one else speaks of them to her,” the Doctor told him, “I thought you would want to tell her yourself.”

“Thank you,” Rip said softly as he headed out. 

 

Sara laughed along with the rest of the group as they listened to River’s story but her eyes stayed on Amy. The other woman was trying to eat but it was clear she was worried.

It had taken a lot of persuading to get her to leave Rip’s side. In fact the only thing that did it was the Doctor reminding her that Rip wouldn’t be happy if Amy made herself ill watching over him.

“So this is where everyone is hiding,” a familiar voice made them turn to see Rip standing in the doorway.

“Rory,” Amy cried throwing her arms around him. 

Sara smiled seeing the sweetest look of contentment cross Rip’s face as he held Amy close, it was so unlike him.

“So,” Sara interrupted quickly, “Is everything sorted and no more madwoman coming after you two?”

Rip turned to her, his arm wrapped around Amy’s waist, “Yes. It’s over.”

“Well, we’re still quiet,” Sara reported, “And River is regaling us with stories which we’re about to match. No need to worry about us. Gideon will let you know if you’re needed.”

Rip locked eyes with her and she winked at him. Rolling his eyes Rip drew Amy out the room.

 

Amy was nervous as she walked with Rory through the corridors of his ship so they could talk. They both knew there was a lot that had happened to both of them since they’d last been together as themselves.

They reached a door and Rory opened it motioning her inside, “This is my room.”

Looking at the bland interior there was nothing to show that someone did live here. Amy stepped inside and took a seat on the bed since there wasn’t anywhere else to sit.

Rory sat at her side nervously, reaching out he took her hand in his, “Amy, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What?” she asked confused, getting worried when he dropped his eyes and remained silent, “Rory, you’re worrying me. Are you sick?”

He shook his head, “No, it’s...em...” Rory took in a deep breath, “Rip...I was married and we had a son.”

Amy listened to Rory explain about his wife Miranda and son Jonas. Anger hit her first, then sadness and finally all she could do was gather him in her arms as she could see him trying to hold back tears.

“I’m so sorry, Rory,” she whispered.

Rory gripped her to him tightly, “Please understand, I didn’t remember you. I didn’t know.”

“Stop,” she soothed making him look up at her, “Don’t you dare apologise for loving someone. I’m sorry you went through that. I’m sorry you lost them but I promise you will never lose me.”

Amy gently wiped away the tears that had fallen from his eyes before she kissed him. Rory pulled her close and they held onto one another relieved to be together once more.

*********************************************

Rip sat watching Amy fix her hair, it was so normal that it took his breath away. 

“So,” she turned to him, “What now?”

“I was hoping lunch,” he smiled trying to hold off the conversation he knew was coming.

She turned to him frowning and for a moment he was thrown back to his first childhood whenever he disagreed with her. Something that happened rarely though happened more when they grew up.

“Rory,” she frowned at him, “You know exactly what I mean.”

Rip sighed rubbing his hand over his eyes, “The Waverider is my home, Amy. It has been for almost thirteen years and I don’t know if I can go back to our house or my old job. ”

“I want to go home,” Amy told him.

Rip dropped his head, “I know.”

“What about the Doctor?” Amy demanded, “And River.”

“I don’t know,” he snapped back, “Amy, this isn’t a decision we can make in a few minutes. It’s been a full lifetime for me,” he sighed, “Can’t we just be happy to see each other for a few hours at least?”

Amy shook her head and walked out.

“Please do not punch the wall again, Captain” Gideon stated as Rip watched her leave his hands fisting in annoyance.

 

The Doctor looked up when he heard the door open; he was staying on the Waverider for the moment and not examining his reasons why.

“Amy,” he smiled before frowning when he saw she was crying, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Without a word she fell against his shoulder holding on.

The Doctor rocked her, “I’m assuming this is about Rory.”

“It’s not fair,” she whispered, “He’s not really Rory anymore. I don’t know him now.”

“Now that is absolute nonsense,” the Doctor replied moving her to the kitchen, “He told you about Miranda and Jonas I take it.”

Anger flared in her eyes, “You knew and you didn’t tell me?”

The Doctor frowned at her, “It wasn’t my place to tell you,” he made her some tea and placed it in front of her, “Is that why you’re so upset?”

“Yes,” she said, “No. I don’t know.”

Sitting at her side he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and hugged her close again, “This isn’t much different from when he was the Centurion. He lived hundreds of lifetimes as he waited for you outside the Pandorica.”

“But he knew me,” Amy argued back, “He was still Rory. He’s not anymore,” she pulled away and started to pace, “I thought it would be easy. I thought we would go back home and resume our lives.”

“Rory has a life here as well,” the Doctor told her, “And I can understand that going back isn’t something he’ll find straightforward.”

“He doesn’t even look like him anymore,” Amy snapped.

“Now you’re being unfair,” the Doctor scolded her, “Listen to me, Pond. The first thing he did when he got his memories back was call me to find you. He may have another life here, Amelia but he loves you as much as he always has.”

 

Sara winced as she watched Rip use her gym equipment. He was pounding the punching bag with a ferocity she didn’t expect from a man who had just been reunited with the wife he’d been desperate to find.

“Keep your shoulder down,” Sara told him, making him turn in surprise that she was standing there.

He didn’t reply instead went back to hitting the punching bag although he did follow her instructions.

“Want to tell me what’s going on?” she asked.

“Not particularly,” Rip replied darkly.

Sara moved to stand in front of the punching bag making him frown at her, “I’m here to talk to. You know that and since I’m not family it might make it easier.”

Rip sighed in defeat and slid down the wall to sit on the floor, “I thought this would be easier.”

Sara sat at his side, “Maybe you two should talk instead of going to separate corners.”

Rip let out a harsh laugh, “It’s the safest way to deal with her sometimes.”

“Rip...Rory,” Sara said seeing his surprise at her use of his other name, “You need to decide what the most important thing to you is.”

“This has been my home for a long time,” Rip noted, “Amy wants to go back to our old one and I don’t know if I can.”

Sara nodded before reminding him, “According to River you spent two thousand years guarding a box that held Amy inside it.”

He sighed softly.

“How true is that story?” Sara asked.

“Actually we always round up, it was only one thousand, eight hundred and ninety four years,” Rip replied wincing when she smacked his arm, “Again with the hitting.”

Sara rolled her eyes at him, “Think of what you just said and tell me again why this is so difficult.”

Rip suddenly kissed her cheek, making Sara blink in surprise as that was something Rip would never have done before. Pulling himself to his feet Rip strode out purposefully.

“My work here is done,” she grinned.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, the final chapter. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed.   
> I hope you enjoy and this doesn’t disappoint.

River was enjoying her time on the Waverider now her parents were safe and knew who they were. When they first arrived Rory had reminded her that this ship was his home so asked her not to steal anything and not to try tampering with Gideon. 

It’s only because he is her father and she loves him she agreed.

What he didn’t forbid was her telling stories about him to his team. She’d spent most of the morning in the galley with the Legends rarely exaggerating anything because Rory was incredible – even if he never believed it.

However she needed to check in with the Doctor to find out how long he planned to stay here. 

“What exactly have you been telling my team?” her father’s voice made her turn finding him turning the corner.

Seeing him as Rip is still strange. 

Rory had always been gentle and quiet, he tried to blend into the background so he wasn’t noticed but Rip Hunter had edges and you noticed him.

“Just some stories of how wonderful you are,” she grinned at him.

Rory rolled his eyes at her, “I doubt they would believe you.”

“Captain Hunter,” Gideon spoke up before she could reply, “We have a mission.”

 

Rip checked the information in front of him with a grimace, “Gideon, please call everyone to the bridge so we can jump.”

“I’m afraid the Doctor and Mrs Williams are inside the TARDIS so will not hear the summons,” Gideon told him.

Rip stalled in his next thought, “Gideon, what did you call Amy?”

“She insisted that I refer to her as Mrs Williams,” Gideon told him.

Rip let out a small huff of surprise at that information. He was pulled back to the room when Sara appeared so he turned to River, “Can you get them to join us? I don’t know what will happen if we jump while they’re in the TARDIS.”

River squeezed his arm, “Of course, Father dear.”

He turned to the team who had assembled and folded his arms, “We have to work to do.”

“Do you want to fly?” Sara asked softly.

Rip looked at her a little confused at her offer.

“Thought you might like to show off a little with the family onboard,” she murmured.

Rip smiled, “Thanks.”

 

Amy followed her daughter and best friend onto the bridge where Rory was talking with his ‘team’ about a Time Pirate. She felt the same stab at her heart because the man standing there was not her Rory.

“Does everyone know what they are doing?” Rory asked the people standing with him before holding up his hand to stop them saying anything, “Let me rephrase that. Does everyone know our objective and will make sure they don’t die, injure another member of the team or destroy the timeline?”

At the nods Rory rolled his eyes, “Everyone strap in. Nate, Mick, Ray if you could use the Emergency Harnesses to let our guests have the main ones.”

“What Emergency Harnesses?” Sara asked, stunned when a section of the wall opened revealing three pods with a similar strapping system though no chairs, “Gideon?”

“You never required their use before, Captain Lance,” Gideon replied.

Rory appeared at Amy’s side and took her hand sitting her in the seat closest to what she assumed was the pilot’s chair before fixing her in it. She could see the Doctor beaming as he took a seat while he chatted away with the other Legends and River taking her seat with an amused smile on her lips

“I’m not sure how this will affect you since you’ve travelled in the TARDIS,” he told her softly once she was settled in the chair, “But you might have some side-effects. They’ll pass quickly, I promise.”

“Rory,” she caught his hand.

He gave her a quick smile and kissed her hand, “We can talk once this is finished.”

*********************************************

Rip swore as the mission inevitably went completely and utterly to hell within the first three minutes. 

He was sure it was a record.

Grabbing Amy’s hand he started them through the corridors of the pirate’s ship. He hadn’t bothered trying to persuade her, the Doctor or River to stay with the Waverider knowing it was completely pointless. Instead he’d sent the Doctor with Sara and River with Ray bringing Amy with him.

“Sara?” he yelled over the comms.

“In a minute,” came her reply, the sound of a fist smacking flesh coming seconds after. 

He sighed, “Please tell me you aren’t hitting the Doctor.”

The laugh that answered him made him sigh, “Could someone tell me what is happening?”

“We’re having problems,” Ray’s voice is tight with worry, “Your dau...Profess...River is trying to...”

Rip grimaced when Ray trailed off and something exploded. 

“Okay, that’s it,” he sighed, “If you want something done, do it yourself. Come on.”

Taking Amy’s hand he ran down to the core. Typically the moment they reached it they were attacked by an automated defence system. Pulling out his pistol he fixed it and handed it to Amy.

“Point and shoot,” he told her, “Just keep it busy while I reset the system.”

A wide grin covered her face, he quickly kissed her before turning to pull the panel off the wall and crawl inside.

“Rory, hurry,” Amy called.

Rip found the section he needed and quickly rewired the computer system, “Gideon?”

“I have made contact and I am taking over the ship now,” she replied to him.

Sliding back out, he found Amy standing leaning against the bulkhead studying his pistol.

“Status?” Rip called to the rest of the team, taking the pistol from her and replacing it in its holster.

“The bastard set the self-destruct,” Sara called to him, “Get back to the ship.”

“Gideon?” Rip called.

“I regret that I cannot halt the program fully,” Gideon replied, “I have been able to alter it so that it shall only blow the aft section. This means the ship shall be open to the vacuum for thirty seconds.”

“Dammit,” Rip snapped, “Everyone hold on.”

He pulled Amy to the corner where there were two small handles. Before she could protest Rip trapped her with his body and gripped the handles tightly.

“Hold onto me,” he told her.

Amy wrapped her arms around his neck holding him tightly while he listened to Gideon in his ear count down the seconds. When Gideon hit zero he felt the explosion and held on feeling Amy’s arms tightening, her face pressed against him as the air rushed out of the room through the hole in the ship.

Finally the shield came online and the world settled again. Slowly Rip released his hold and took a small step back from Amy who suddenly grabbed his coat pulling him in for a kiss.

When they broke apart Rip hit his radio, “Status?”

“We’re heading back to the Waverider,” Sara told him.

“Gideon,” Rip ordered as he took Amy’s hand, “Once we’re all back on board you know what to do.”

“Of course, Captain,” Gideon replied.

“What is she going to do?” Amy asked curiosity filling her voice.

Rip smiled, “She’ll send the ship into the sun to destroy it.”

They reached the Waverider at the same time as the other four, Rip let them all onboard first before turning and closing the hatch. Turning to head back to the bridge Amy kissed him again, pressing him against the walls of the cargo bay.

“That was fun,” she murmured.

 

Amy loved that even after everything she had just witnessed she could still fluster Rory by simply surprising him with a kiss. And for the first time she was clearly seeing him behind the beard, the coat and the new persona.

“It’s what we do,” Rory told her, “Stop people trying to mess with time.”

“You’re really good,” she smiled.

Rory shrugged, “I was trained for it.”

“If we stayed here,” Amy said softly, “Would we see the Doctor and River?”

Rory nodded taking her hand, “Of course. They’re welcome here at any time. And you know the Doctor won’t stay away from you.”

“What about your team?” 

Resting his hand on her cheek he smiled, “They’ll be fine. Sara has already offered to train you to fight.”

“How do you...”

“Gideon mentioned it to me,” Rory explained with a smile wincing slightly, “You will have to get used to that.”

Amy laughed, “I’m sure we can come to an arrangement.”

*********************************************

“The Great Captain Rip Hunter,” the Doctor beamed at him as they stood in the TARDIS control room, “I always wanted to meet you.”

Rory laughed, “Well, I hope I didn’t disappoint.”

“Never,” the Doctor hugged him tightly. Releasing Rory he turned to Amy and hugged her, “Oh, Pond I thought I would never see you again and I’m so sorry.”

“Doctor,” Amy started.

“I should have known it wasn’t a proper Angel,” he whispered sadly, “I should have known something else was happening.”

Amy hugged him tightly, “She counted on you being so upset that you wouldn’t think to look any deeper.”

The Doctor pulled Rory into a three way hug knowing he had to let them go but at least this time he would see them again. Dropping a kiss on both their heads he released them and allowed River to embrace her parents.

The Doctor watched the couple hug their daughter tightly. It was very rare that River’s mask would crack but when it came to her parents River Song disappeared and Melody Pond appeared.

He remembered the way she’d sobbed when they thought the Angel had taken them from her for good and the crockery she smashed. 

“I want you to stay in touch,” Amy ordered her daughter; “I don’t care what else is happening you come and see us.”

“I promise, Mother,” River beamed.

Rory handed her a small silver box, “This will send a signal to Gideon to let her know you’re coming so she will allow the Vortex Manipulator through her shields, if you don’t you will probably bounce off.”

River took the box before hugging him tightly, “Of course, Father.”

His Ponds both took a deep breath and one last look around. Rory lifted the two bags filled with their belongings that had been left when they were taken.

“Don’t be a stranger, Doctor,” Rory smiled before he walked out the TARDIS allowing Amy to have a private moment with her best friend.

River smiled at him before she left him with Amy.

“You look after him,” the Doctor told her, “Rip Hunter has a formidable reputation but he’s still our Rory and he needs someone to remind him of that.”

Amy grinned, “I won’t let him forget. And you tell whoever you’re travelling with these days that she better look after you or I will be coming after her.”

“How...”

“River told me,” Amy replied, “Clara, is it?”

The Doctor nodded, “There’s a story there but I’ll tell you once I’ve worked it out myself.”

He hugged her once more, “Live well, love Rory.”

With a final smile she left the TARDIS and joined her husband standing just outside the doors. Heading to the console he programmed their new destination a smile on his face.

 

Amy reached out and took Rory’s hand as they watched the TARDIS leave. They stood together watching the empty space where it had sat for a few moments before Rory turned to her.

“Welcome aboard the Waverider, Mrs Williams,” he grinned in amusement.

“I was upset,” she defended herself, “I was...”

Rory laughed when she trailed off wrapping his arms around her, “Being your usual self.”

“I chose you,” Amy whispered, “I will always choose you, Rory. You know that don’t you?”

Taking her hand and leading her out of the cargo bay he nodded, “I do. Though I’m guessing it helps I now have a ship that can travel through time too.”

Amy stopped him pulling him so he was looking at her, “I meant New York. In the graveyard, I let the Angel take me so I would be with you. I chose you, not the Doctor.”

Rory kissed her, “Let’s get this to my...our room so you can get settled. Then there’s something I have to do.”

“I have one question,” Amy said as they started walking, “You had to choose a name for yourself to hide you real identity, right?”

“Yes.”

“Where on earth did you come up with the name Rip?”

*********************************************

It had been so many years since he’d been here but it also felt like only a few days had passed since he walked along the street to the familiar house. Amy had offered to come with him but Rip wanted to do this alone, besides it gave her time to get to know the rest of the Legends without him.

Part of him felt he should be worried by how gleeful and friendly Sara was being to Amy but Amy seemed to be enjoying spending time with the former assassin so he couldn’t say anything.

It occurred to him when he reached the house that he should have come here as he once was but he was now Rip Hunter and he couldn’t pretend he wasn’t.

Taking a deep breath he knocked on the door and waited, forcing himself not to fidget as he listened to the movement on the other side. Finally it opened and Rip felt his heart lift with joy seeing the man there who stared at him like he was seeing a ghost, which in many ways he was.

“Rory?”

Rip gave a soft smile, “Hi, Dad.”


End file.
